A Certain Unscientific Paradigm
by soulcage
Summary: A delinquent boy named Takayama Akito was just a regular Level 0 among the countless students of Academy City, the city of advanced science and technology, but he hated those students, or more specifically, those wretched espers and Academy City itself. However, he finds himself in desperate conflict against Academy City's dark side.
1. Friends

**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index is a deep and wonderful piece by Kamachi Kazuma.**

**This is a fanfiction of To Aru Majutsu no Index set after the second season of the anime. However, most if not all the cast will probably be original and made by me. These days living as a neet is slowly coming to an end for me so I finally decided to write this story that has been hanging around in the corners of my mind since last year (Max procrastination). Also, this is the first fanfiction I have ever written so I would be very thankful if you were to help me improve by giving some feedback.**

**As far as writing is concerned, I tend to progress the story in a slow pace so you will have to be very patient with me. If you haven't read the novels, then you may be confused by some of the characters that appear here as I plan to have them involved as well, but I will make sure to put that in the author's notes. Also, as I said before, this is my first work so I apologize in advance for any errors or inconsistencies!**

**This story, for the earliest parts, revolves around a Level 0 without any special powers, and as such, we begin our story in Academy City, however, that is not to say that Magic might not get involved. However, I won't just limit myself on these things. The story and plot may change as time passes. It may become unpredictable as I try to write this world where amazing science and magic exist.**

**Updates are set to monthly, but I cannot promise anything!**

**Updated: 8/25/2105**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - \Friends_**

* * *

In the dark and deserted sidewalk of District 10, a lone lamp post illuminated two boys under its light.

It was already past the usual curfew time in Academy City.

"Say.. Takayama..." Turning to face the boy beside him, a young man with an almost gigantic build spoke with an accent as he crouched down by the guard rail of the sidewalk. "Your friends with that Tatemiya chick aren't ya? Why don't ya introduce me sometime?" His face was almost like a grown-up's with a chin full of bristles. It was hard to believe that he was a high school student. He was wearing a messy high school uniform which consisted of a dress shirt that was crumpled and had several ugly brown stains. He took a sip from his beer can which was already nearly empty. His already flushed face became even redder.

If a member of Judgment or Anti-Skill, the peacekeepers of this city, were to see this, the young man would definitely be in big trouble, however only the two of them occupied the street.

With a soft sound of a bell ringing, the door to the convenience store in front of them suddenly swung open.

A thin yet tall boy wearing a white dress shirt and black jeans suddenly came out. A long, silver chain connected from his pocket to his belt dangled on the left side of his jeans. He had narrow, orange cat-like eyes which looked at them with a playful glint, and short spiky black hair. "Hahaha... Do you really think Ms. Hotshot Level 4 will go for a bastard like you Mikoshiba?" After saying those words with a mocking tone, he immediately hid his pack of gums from his two friends. He let out a mischievous smirk to the drunken boy.

Normally, private establishments in Academy City disallows students from buying alcohol and cigarettes, however, the territory they were currently in was a special case. This area was one of the several territories for thugs and Skill-Outs.

"We were just classmates during middle school, senpai." Beside the drunken Mikoshiba, a young boy named Takayama Akito spoke with a bored tone as he read the magazine in his hands. He was shorter than the other two boys and he had unkempt dyed blonde hair which made him stick out slightly. He wore a monotonous grey hoodie, perfectly matching his monotonous, apathetic personality. He also looked a lot younger than the two.

"Ahhh..? yer no fun... Aren't ya supposed to be my cute little kouhai?"

Mikoshiba persisted, but Akito turned down every single one of his proposals. It seemed that this was their usual routine.

"Hm... It should be about time now." the cat-eyed high schooler casually looked at his watch. "Shall we go?"

"Sure! I'm pumped up tonight~!" Mikoshiba stood up unsteadily. His height now reached past 6 feet. He had a fairly large body frame. From far away, he would look like an athlete at his peak.

"You guys going again tonight senpai?"

"Yeah..." The cat-eyed boy named Shin paused for a bit before continuing. "Wanna come too?" A mischievous smirk came out of his face.

"Err… no... There's a scan tomorrow so I have to wake up early." Akito did not know where the senpais always went during this time of the night but he had a feeling that he shouldn't get involved.

"Just leave the kid alone, Shin~ You might make him pee his pants."

"Ahh~ I know. I was just kidding." the boy continued to smirk.

Akito watched his seniors leave before turning to the opposite direction, slightly curious of what they are up to.

"Oi! watch where yer going!"

A loud shout echoed from behind him in the dark urban street. It was from the senior, Mikoshiba.

"Wahh! S-sorry!"

Another voice followed, but he didn't recognize whose it was.

In response, he looked back towards the direction of the voices and saw the seniors he parted with under a malfunctioning light post. It seemed that some trouble was brewing up. He saw an unfamiliar boy wearing black framed glasses and wearing a uniform from his school, bowing down in front of his seniors. Feeling pity towards the boy, he slowly approached his two seniors with the intention of stopping the fight.

"As much as I'd like to have fun with you, kid, we have business to attend to." Shin thought for a bit before letting out a mischievous smile, as if he just found a new toy to play with. "But if you really want to then let's play a quick game."

"Let me break him in first." Furious, Mikoshiba cracked his knuckles.

"I'll take care of him."

Still with an apathetic face, Takayama Akito suddenly appeared behind them and grasped the giant senpai's shoulder in order to stop him from pulverizing the meek looking boy wearing glasses. "You guys have somewhere to go don't you?" He spoke apathetically. It has already been a while since he hanged out with his seniors, but he still couldn't understand why they were so rowdy and picking fights with everyone they bump into.

"Hm..? Is he someone you know?" Mikoshiba turned towards the blonde hair boy

"Not really..." Without changing his expression, the boy shrugged.

Shin glanced at the his kouhai's face, slightly curious of his unusual behavior, before letting out an amused grin.

"Well don't get too carried away now."

"Teach that punk a thing or two would ya?" Still a bit annoyed, the drunk Mikoshiba walked forward out of the blinking light of the malfunctioning lamp post before shoving the boy wearing glasses out of his way.

Shin followed and soon they reached the end of the street where they disappeared into the dark shadows of District 10.

The other two boys stared at the high school seniors as they walked out of the vicinity.

"Oi, you okay? You shouldn't go around areas where there are troublemakers especially at this time of the night."

"Ha ha ha... Are you not a delinquent yourself, Takayama-san?" The boy smiled sheepishly. He removed his glasses and quickly wiped the exhaustion off his forehead.

"Huh? Do I know you?" Surprised, Akito raised a brow as he turned to look at the boy.

"Honestly, you ought to know the names of your classmates, Takayama-san!" The boy adjusted his glasses and stood up straight. His expression grew serious.

Surprised by the boy's sudden outburst, Akito took a step back. "S-sorry. My bad..."

"I'm glad you understand." The boy nodded approvingly. "I'm the class representative, Atsu~chi~ Tomoya~!"

A special introductory skit suddenly began.

Tomoya held out a peace sign with an exaggerated pose like some kind of famous idol or comedian.

Akito squinted his eyes as he saw some kind of dazzling sparkles in the background behind the delusional boy. It was bright, irritatingly bright. He shrugged it off completely thinking it was just his hallucination. _Ahh... It's one of those characters..._

If this was one of those visual novel games then Atsuchi Tomoya would definitely be the main protagonist's weird best friend, is what came to his mind immediately.

"Anyway, I came here to deliver this." Tomoya took a notebook from his bag and gave it to Akito. "It was sticking out of your desk so I figured you forgot it."

"Uhh.. thanks." Akito took the notebook with a confused look. "But how did you find me? I don't think anyone in the class knew this place"

"You don't knooooooowww~?"

Atsuchi Tomoya began again.

The tension was building up with each passing second while Akito waited for the possibly stupid revelation to come out of the other boy's mouth

"It's because I'm a superhero~!" Tomoya smiled and gave a sudden wink at Akito.

The blonde haired boy frowned with the most unpleasant frown he had this entire week.

_Definitely one of those characters..._

"You're at least Level 2, aren't you?" Akito deposited the notebook into his student bag. "Some kind of search oriented esper?"

_How annoying..._

"Yep! As expected of the person Tatemiya-san acknowledges. Though you look that way, you really know a thing or two." Tomoya's eyes glittered with excitement.

Akito didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or not.

"... or you could be some kind of creepy stalker."

Akito stepped backward slightly hiding a pitying face.

"Errr... uhh.. no that's not the case. I just used my Clairvoyance as I searched around the area to find you." Sweat bullets dropped like rain on Tomoya's face.

"Doesn't that actually increase your potential as a stalker?"

"No no no no no! I'm a proper human being! I'm the class representative even! I would never misuse my powers like learning Usui-sensei's whereabouts!"

"You said something suspicious just now..."

Akito then made a mental note to keep an eye out for this weirdo.

The two high school boys continued on with their act at the dark empty street of District 10.

"...Anyway don't come here again or you'll get yourself beaten up." Akito's voice grew harsh. "If not, then I'll be the one to do the beating..." He quietly muttered those last few words. _This district is only for us Level 0's. There's no place for you espers here._

The area they were in was one of several remote areas of District 10 which were rumored to be a gathering of gangsters and SkillOuts.

Suddenly, Akito noticed Tomoya's expression as it changed to a serious one after hearing his warning.

"..."

"Oi, why're you so quiet suddenly?"

"You should stop hanging out with those kinds of people, Takayama-san." Tomoya's bright brown eyes turned into an icy glare. The weirdo best friend act was now finally over and a more serious scene was about to unfold.

"Hah?!" Akito sounded displeased at that remark. His apathy disappeared.

"We are worried about you..." The class representative looked downcast.

_Who is 'we'? What's this idiot spouting about now? _The delinquent's eyes grew sharp. He was starting to feel even more annoyed by the busybody. "What I do is none of your business."

Akito originally wanted to scare the boy away but he got carried away with teasing him.

"Of course it is! It's my duty as you're-"

"...Class representative? Ha! Don't make me laugh." Akito sneered at the boy's comment. "So if you weren't the representative, the teacher wouldn't have to ask you to talk some sense into a troublesome guy like me?" Akito turned around, not wanting to talk any further.

"As you're friend... and I came here on my own not because someone ordered me to." Tomoya pleaded to the delinquent.

"I don't remember making friends with a stupid stalker. Get lost." Akito began to turn around to face the other direction, away from the boy.

"Please... Takayama-san. No good will come out of being around Skill-Outs. Have you seen the news lately?"

"So you're saying being an esper always makes you right?!" His voice gradually growing louder, the blonde haired delinquent spoke without turning around. Annoyed, he couldn't stand watching the esper's face any longer.

"No... it's not like that..."

Tomoya ran out of things to say. It was not that he was weak-willed but because he could not find a suitable argument that could pull Akito to his side. The delinquent was already too far gone. Tomoya already knew that the blonde haired boy had already skipped so many classes and has this hatred for every one of his classmates that are espers, but he approached the delinquent anyway without a proper plan aside from returning the notebook and acting friendly.

He slowly glanced down at his feet as his fists trembled. "Don't come here again. Espers like you annoy the shit out of me." The blonde-haired delinquent spat out those words before walking away and leaving the area.

Not wanting to press the matter any further, Akito left the streets of District 10 and headed for District 7 where his dorm was located.

_How pathetic..._

The street lights started to glow brighter with each passing corner. He reached the monorail which was still functioning at this time because Academy City issued an extended operation period for people who have late working hours. The power consumption factor is of course not a problem for the system runs on electricity generated by dozens of wind turbines.

_I'm nothing more than a failure..._

The boy's eyes were filled with emptiness as he walked the streets before reaching his dark dorm room.

There was no particular object that stood out in the room. Actually, the eerie dark room lacked any aesthetics or decorations at all. If a stranger would come in, he would definitely mistake the room to have no resident, if it not for the food inside the refrigerator.

Akito left his bag in a corner and took off his student uniform before collapsing on top of his own bed wearing a grey hoodie.

It has already been several months since the boy had moved into Academy City. Prior to moving, he had lived an ordinary life with his family and attended an ordinary middle school.

He was now living in Academy City, the city of science and technology. This was the famous city said to have technology surpassing the rest of the world by a margin of 30 years. This was the city which was famous for teaching students under the specialized curriculum known as Power Curriculum Program in order for them to gain special psychic powers and become what was known as espers. This city was also where various scientific researches were being conducted on those mysterious and special abilities they had.

And yet,

_This city is so full of bullshit... It's all their fault I'm stuck here as a Level 0..._

His trail of thoughts stopped there and he stared blankly at the ceiling before closing his eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile in an abandoned building in District 10. 11:28 pm.

"Yo~! How's the plans coming along~?" Shin waved at a grown man playing a handheld game console while sitting on a crate in the farthest corner of the big industrial room. The latter scowled at the sight of his two associates.

"The stuff got delayed. They won't be arriving for at least two days." the person continued playing his video game which was, in closer inspection, to be a rare retro fighting game that received great reception in the past.

"Aww~ thats no fun." Shin let out a disappointed sigh but did not seem all that serious.

Mikoshiba staggered toward a different corner of the room to sleep, not caring anymore after hearing the change in the situation.

"Man... those idiots working on the transport will get grilled by the higher ups when they arrive." With that suspicious-looking grin still plastered to his face, Shin slowly shook his head as he wandered around the dark space. "I'm so glad I wasn't assigned to transport." He took a gum from his pocket, chewed on it, and crouched near the end of a conveyor belt. His hands reached out for the incomplete contraptions sprawled around and toyed with them. "Was security as tight as always, Jun-san?"

The man was completely indulged in the epic battle unfolding in front him. "Nope, a lot of Anti-Skill doing security checks this time. The guys are having difficulty moving the bigger packages thanks to that." His thumbs almost moving past the limits the eye can see. "And you wouldn't be assigned to transport anyway since your abilities are more suitable here in assembly."

The building was quiet for a moment apart from the retro video game being played until Shin spoke an easy-going voice.

"Well no choice but to lay low until our part of this show."

Shin played with a small black object in his hand which used to be a bunch separate machinery from the floor a minute ago but now connected together to have a shape and form of some kind of small handgun similar to a low caliber S&amp;W revolver.

"It's too bad that Komaba got taken out. He would have been a great addition to REBEL's fighting power." Shin got bored with the replica gun and threw it aside to make a new toy. "And maybe _that kid _as well. At this rate, if we don't find any more interesting prospects, giving the higher ups of Academy City a little shake will be a bit challenging."

* * *

**Ahhh... I'm still not used to writing so I really appreciate the feedback...**

**END AN:**

S&amp;W is an American firearms manufacturer that has been in existence for quite a while now.

This story will most likely have more than OC protagonist so it will shift from time to time.


	2. Rivals

**Chapter 2 - \Rivals_ff7856h**

* * *

A certain high school in District 7 was currently undergoing its special periodical Power Development Scan. It was slightly different from the normal System Scan, which was always being held throughout Academy City. Only Level 0's and Level 1's were allowed to participate while higher level espers had their scan a lot later in the month. Those not participating were still required to come to school and do individual reviews on their lessons, however, they could relax anytime as long as they were done.

One reason for separating the scanning periods for espers was because the school was made up of a large percentage of Level 0's and 1's. The workload would be too much if the school also scanned other levels at the same time so the administration decided to focus more on developing espers who were lagging behind in their curriculum by giving them more frequent scans.

However, the process was not as orderly as the administration had hoped. The students ended up with different testing venues with different schedules.

It was far from order.

It was a battlefield.

The long hallways were occupied by a surging wave of students going in multiple directions.

1st year? 2nd year? 3rd year? It did not matter. Honorifics were dead within these halls.

A 2nd year boy curled his arms like a rugby player and pressed on relentlessly, not caring whether he was up against a senpai from a club or a beautiful well-endowed class representative.

A couple of girls grouped together and formed a triangular formation that plowed through a corridor in a certain part of the school's main building.

Some freshmen took a stealthier approach by going through the windows of classrooms in the first floor and following the long path through the grounds.

Students of the same class secured their classroom for use as a rest stop in between their skirmishes.

Each student applied their own tactic after much experience from past scans.

While all that was going on, the delinquent Takayama Akito was sitting down on one of the benches several feet away from the main building for first years. It was hectic outside as well, but he did not particularly mind. He only had two items on his checklist for today's scan, one of which, the General Psychometry Assessment, was already done earlier this morning. The other one was the Personal Reality Progress Analysis which was supposed to be held in Room 103 of the main building near the entrance.

With narrowed eyes that seem to be facing a seriously unreasonable trial, he quietly stared at the entrance.

The mass of moving flesh inside the building can be seen from where he was sitting through the gaps of the windows and entrances.

However, that was not where his attention was...

There stood a tall, peculiar high school girl crossing her arms in the midst of the moving crowd of students. Her long black flowing hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had fiery amber-colored eyes that made her stand out extremely well.

It would have looked like a scene out of a romance novel where the main protagonist, a boy, falls in love with a mysterious beauty on the first day of school had it not been for the lack of sakura blossoms dancing in the air. And the fact that Akito's expression was not something like fascination or infatuation, but something similar to a situation where he eagerly selects his favorite can of coffee from a certain vending machine and got milk tea for some unknown reason instead.

_Tch… A troublesome person has appeared... _The boy groaned.

Like a watch dog- No- Like a guardian of hell looking on all the poor sinners lining up to be punished, she stood unflinching with her back to the entrance, monitoring for any accidents or trouble that may occur.

After hearing that another scan was going to be held on this day, she instantly volunteered to help out the discipline committee. Though not being part of the student council herself, being the only Level 4 in the entire school gave her enough recognition to give out orders to people.

So it seemed an obstacle was in the way of Akito's path.

Going through a different entrance was not an option because of the congestion of people will only delay him further. But he absolutely didn't want to go through the entrance where this girl stood.

The mission parameters required Akito to pass through the entrance which was heavily guarded by a demon, and make his way through the numerous students clogging the building's hallway. The latter was no problem at all compared to the former was what the boy thought.

Suddenly a female voice rang out which startled every student in the area.

"Oi! You two! Button up your shirt and take off those god damn piercings now!"

Tatemiya Haruka shed off the visage of a rare beauty and went full demon mode.

The Level 4's hair rose up as if being blown upwards by a strong demonic aura.

This was the boy's chance. There was no point in blending in with the crowd outside while approaching the entrance when his hair sticks out too much was what he thought as he analyzed all the possible routes, he just had to move quickly!

Thus began Takayama Akito's own battle.

Like a master ninja, he sneaked through the pathway to the entrance stealthily, jumping from shadow to shadow made by trees that spread throughout the grounds.

After reaching a distance of 10 meters from the entrance, he made for one last sprint while Haruka still had her back towards him.

Desperation covered his entire face, as if he was a prisoner who was trying to sneak past a warden guarding the only path to his freedom.

The opponent was a Level 4, the pride of the entire school and also rumored to have withstood an attack from a certain Level 5 from Tokiwadai Middle School.

An esper battle could really push one's limits was what he thought (though all he did was to simply sneak past her inside a noisy school building.)

He did not bother to take a quick glance at the commotion. He just headed toward the goal in front of him.

His mind was now celebrating at his victory after finally being only a few feet away from the designation.

"Baka..."

"… Eh?"

As he passed through Haruka, he could have sworn he heard a quiet voice but shrugged it off in the end.

At that time,

"Haruka-san, wasn't that Takayama-san just now?" An innocent-looking young girl appeared out of the hectic crowd, catching her breath.

"HAHH?!" The discipline committee stand-in made a sound unbefitting of a girl like her.

"Ehh? You didn't see him?" The girl named Aki pointed at the direction where the boy went. She was not afraid of Tatemiya Haruka's demon mode.

"Of course I saw him," Haruka spoke while she continued her observation of the hallway. "It's just that I don't have time to deal with idiots like him right now."

"Hmm~ are you sure?" Another girl appeared out of the crowd, one with a natural ojou-sama aura. Her long brown hair curled at the ends, and her bust size was enough to turn heads. Actually, the crowd slowed down a bit as they approached her, catching short glimpses of her beauty before continuing with their struggle.

"What do you mean, Saki-san?" Aki, the slightly plain girl of the three, inquired to the other girl.

"Tatemiya-san was obviously at the entrance so she could bump into Takayama Aki-" Saki stated in an as a matter of fact tone but was cut short.

"No! It's not like that!" Haruka denied frantically, her long hair swayed as she shook her head.

Saki and Aki just stared at Haruka with faces that say: _Ahh.. she's really bad at lying._

"Anyway, what are you guys doing here? Aren't you going to study in the library?" Haruka changed the subject of conversation.

In a soft and gentle voice, "We heard that you were assisting the discipline committee so we thought that you needed some help." Aki spoke out.

Unlike the two long-haired girls, Aki did not stand out much. Her black shoulder-length hair covered a bit of her face and her stature was about below average compared to her classmates.

"Not me. I was just bored." Saki said as she raised her hand to disagree.

"Tatemiya-san! Thank you for your hard work~!' A student from the discipline committee appeared suddenly among the crowd and approached Haruka to relieve her from of her duty as a hall monitor.

The three girls headed for the roof which had a resting area after buying lunch from the vending machine in the cafeteria.

The ruckus inside the school slowly dissipated after an hour.

"Are you free today, Haruka-san? Want to go to Seventh Mist?" Aki opened the bento box she selected from the vending machine.

"Sorry, I have Judgment work to do later, maybe some other time?" Haruka made a sheepish smile before taking a bite on her hotdog.

"A busybody as always…" Saki took a sip from her milk tea.

Haruka did not mind the comment as she herself was aware of her own faults.

"Come to think of it, there has been a lot of news regarding Skill-Outs recently. Something about illegal weaponry hidden in warehouses scattered across districts.'

"Yeah, we have been really busy with surveying the area for anything suspicious. Though, we haven't encountered anything yet…"

"Hmph! I would not be surprised if that Takayama Akito was in the middle of it all." Saki spoke in an ojou-sama like tone.

"No… that's impossible. He would never do something like that." Haruka rejected the idea casually.

"What makes you think so?"

"Because we've have been rivals since our second year of middle school." Haruka made a reassuring smile.

"That vulgar delinquent was your rival? Are you joking?!" Saki crushed the carton of milk tea in her hands.

"Umm... Sorry Haruka-san, but I agree with Saki-san. He does seem quite intimidating." Aki added.

After noticing what a mess she made, Saki quickly threw away the carton at the trash bin and quickly wiped her hands.

Akito did not have a good reputation around school. He always had a hostile vibe that made people avoid him. There were rumors that he had beaten up some students from another school.

"That's just him being out of his wits with some problem or something. Don't worry about it." Haruka spoke nonchalantly.

Aki and Saki couldn't understand what Haruka just said.

"B-but how could he be on par with you Tatemiya-san?! Based on our test scores, he's nothing more than an idiot!" Saki asserted her argument.

"Oh he wasn't just on par with me. He was on a completely different dimension. Didn't you know? He is actually really smart. I think he skipped a grade once during middle school." Haruka said casually.

Aki and Saki made disgruntled expressions. They found it hard to believe that someone who picks fights with other people would be someone very intelligent.

"But that's how Academy City is you know…"

Academy City only paid attention to a student's ability as an esper. No matter how talented a student was, if he was only a Level 0, then he was no different from a flunked experiment. That is what Takayama Akito is to Academy City.

* * *

Inside a certain private room...

"Hmmm… your numbers have improved." A man wearing a white lab coat took a sip from his coffee before continuing. "But you're still far from showing a significant spike to your psyche which shows that you are in the reaches of displaying a psychic ability. And I mean really far. There's practically a wide margin that you have to overcome. Though maybe applying special parameters would yield more conclusive results…" He spoke with little enthusiasm in his voice as he analyzed the depressing data from several documents he held in his hands. His face seemed like he would be popular with young girls, although he was a man in his later 20's. He had narrow framed glasses and jet black hair that parted sideways.

The delinquent, Takayama Akito, slumped on a stool on the other side of the researcher's desk, not fully interested in comprehending all the technical terms that were being said as his mind wandered about the room from time to time.

There were several shelves which had books of different variety. Each had titles that seemed to be related to research in AIM, Quantum Physics and Brain Neurons.

_It's just going to be the same thing no matter what I do._ He thought while looking around the small office.

"But don't look so down," the man made a wide grin as he looked at the sulking young boy. "Your steady progress is apparent in the data records so it may not be long before you could fly, shoot laser beams out of your eyes or manipulate gusts of wind to blow away women's skirts to see that they were coincidentally wearing thongs or whatever you youngsters are into these days."

"Don't joke around, you lousy teacher..." The boy replied with an annoyed tone as he began to suspect that he was some kind of special magnet that attracted weird people.

"You're no fun." The man sighed at his student's lack of humor. "And after all this time that I have been taking care of you…"

_Where have I heard that before… _The boy frowned. A lot of people have been calling him gloomy or serious, but he didn't care. "Isn't this your job in the first place?" Akito sounding displeased.

"Speaking of which, have you ever caught a glimpse of Usui-sensei's underwear?"

"How far off am I from reaching Level 1?" Akito ignored the man's inquiry.

"Well… perhaps you just need a stimulus to change the state of your brainwaves to one that can invoke a Personal Reality, which will come naturally of course so you don't have to worry."

Of course, Takayama Akito did not believe that. He knew for a fact that a lot of the students in Academy City remained as a Level 0 even as they graduated from high school. It won't "come naturally" as this man said. It was all probably just a lie used to console him. It was already October and he was still hasn't made any progress. In video game terms, he was the pretty much the same as a novice player who just started. He had been trying and trying while following every single known method but nothing ever happens.

Finally looking serious, the man spoke before reaching a piece of paper and a pen from his desk. "Oh, and I'm prescribing you different drugs this time, I'll just record the data during the next scan." It was common knowledge in Academy City that researchers applied certain drugs on their test subjects, whenever they deem it relevant in their study. Of course, these drugs had no adverse effects whatsoever on the subject's physical or mental condition but the subject's psychic conditions, is what Akito knew.

Akito took the slip of paper from the researcher's hands. "By the way... This will be the last time we meet. Go find someone else to experiment on. I'm sure you've still got a lot of students aside from a Level 0 like me."

"Oh?" The man tilted his head quizzically at the boy. "Why is that, Takayama-kun?"

"I've given up. All of this is just a waste of time," he spat out. "I'll just stay as a Level 0 all my life. I don't care about these god damn powers anymore."

The man narrowed his dark eyes behind his glasses. His elbows rested softly on his wooden desk. "Well, if that's what you wish."

Silence engulfed the room. Akito didn't expect the researcher would agree so easily, but he was glad he did.

"You are right, I have plenty other research subjects apart from you so it's not like having one less will make any difference. But it will be sad not having you around anymore, especially when I have been looking over you for a long time." The researcher shook his head. "Well, if you have fully set on this, then I guess there's no helping it. Don't regret this, Takayama-kun."

The boy stood up and faced the door with his hands in his blazer's pockets. "I won't, Kihara-sensei..."

* * *

"So, idiot, how was it?" Tatemiya Haruka was leaning on the wall beside a door when the boy she was expecting came out.

The massive congestion filling up the hallways from before was now nowhere to be seen. Instead, only a few students passed by, enjoying the free time they have now that the System Scan was over.

The orange sunlight fell over the two through the windows.

"Same as usual, idiot…" The young boy closed the door to the room he was previously in.

And thus, the two exchanged verbal insults casually, just as usual. In Japan, it was a custom for younger people to refer to their elders with utmost respect, but being the youngest of the two, he ignored such annoying things whenever he was with the girl. That must be the sign of how close they were.

"You don't have to get your panties in a bunch every time I see the results of my power level." The boy sighed.

The girl turned red like an apple after hearing that remark. "Hey, you brat, I just wanted to see if you were finally taking things seriously, but you're still just slacking off as usual."

"Yes~ I'm no match for the great Tatemiya Haruka." Akito shrugged lazily. "But seriously, there are a lot more people out there who deserve more of your attention than me, like that Railgun or whatever she was called," although he did not know the identity of the famous Railgun from Tokiwadai Middle School himself. But he heard many interesting and amazing rumors about her like the one where she fought a giant Powered Suit on a certain freeway.

Those sounded like outrageous stories for a normal high school student like him. Even though this city was filled with espers, those feats sounded too unrealistic. Were Level 5's really that strong? The boy wondered about that a lot.

Akito silently muttered, "It was a mistake for me to be here..."

He remembered all his shortcomings after arriving at Academy City. He was so full of ambition at first, doing all he could in the Power Curriculum Program to become an esper. But now he was tired. Tired of climbing such a steep wall where he cannot see the top. All the efforts he made didn't get him anywhere, making all the time he spent studying felt like such a waste.

A tone played on the school's PA system, announcing the end of the school's Power Scan.

The two ignored the tone as they stood in the middle of the school's halls.

Was there even a reason for him to continue living in Academy City? He contemplated as he tried to walk away from the girl.

"So are you saying that you're just going to give up?" The girl said.

"Haven't I already?" The boy replied with his back towards her. "I just don't have the knack for this like you do."

"I know we haven't hung out for a while but that doesn't mean you can just abandon our race!" Haruka shouted.

"Race? I'm a Level 0 and you're a powerful Level 4. There was no race to begin with."

Haruka clenched her fist, ready to beat the boy up but then an idea came into her mind, to which an evil smile formed on her face.

"Heh~ Look who's suddenly sulking in the corner. What was it? 'Watch me, I'm going to be a Level 5 and the supreme ruler of this realm!' Something like that?" Her eyes looked at him playfully as she snickered.

"H-hey! I didn't say anything like that!" A bit of red flooded his face as he looked at her and raised his fist in front of him. "And who the hell says 'supreme ruler of this realm', huh?!"

All his worries were abruptly forgotten for a moment.

After seeing the boy's amusing response, the girl smiled and said, "Looks like you still have some fire left in you. We're still first years, Takayama. You don't have to rush 'cause I'll always be cheering you on!"

"….." The boy's eyes widened, feeling the girl's relentlessness enter his body, though she didn't notice. He noticed emptiness he had been feeling inside him disappear. Suddenly, his blood began to heat up as if he was a runner who finally made it to the finals. It seemed that no matter what he did to push her away, she will only come back stronger.

"And when you finally reach the top, I'll be here to smack you down~!" The girl raised her fist and gave a cheerful grin.

And then after a moment, Akito resigned himself to the girl's unreasonable demands. "Hmph… Don't you have Judgment duties or something?" Finally, he turned around once more and waved goodbye to Tatemiya Haruka. A tiny smile appeared on his face.

Thus the clock started to move. The normal Level 0 boy who had thought his life would continue peacefully as he tried once again to grasp the special powers he had longed for in this city full of advanced science and technology will face a challenge he could never hope to imagine. Science and… Both of those intermingled as he walked on this route with the limited knowledge he had.

* * *

**I've been trying to stop myself from adding battle scenes regarding espers because I wanted to follow the story line inside my head but damn finally... next chapter will have an esper fight.**

**No appearances yet from canon characters but I promise they will appear.**


	3. Flare Cloak

**Welp, I tried my best.**

**This chapter is about Tatemiya Haruka, Takayama Akito's friend and self-proclaimed rival.**

**Here's hoping for more feedback.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - \FLAre_CloAk_**

* * *

Tatemiya Haruka walked along the streets of District 7. It was 4:50 pm.

She was a member of Judgment's 164th branch and a skilled Level 4 Esper hailed as the pride and joy of her entire school.

She had extremely good grades and was very athletic.

Her 'cool beauty' attracted a lot of male and female students whom also idolized her.

She often scolded boys who try to break the rules, but for some reason, they always end up enjoying it.

A few rich boys from other schools came up to her once with bouquets but she flat out rejected them in the end saying that she did not have the time to mess around.

"Tatemiya-san is very reliable! One time, she protected me from a big malfunctioning military robot all by herself!" A young girl commented with great praise.

"I'm the founder of The Great Tatemiya Haruka Support and Admiration Fan Club so ask me every single detail you want to know about her!" A boy wearing a white headband excitedly declared.

"Tatemiya-san is an innocent and gentle maiden. Actually, I'm on my way to propose to her right now." A young and handsome gentleman pointed at a foreign sports car. "I bought this hoping that it would be up to her tastes."

"Hmph, you do not know who Tatemiya Haruka-sama is? I'm not surprised because only I know of her true greatness!" A middle-aged man wearing business clothes reached out to the heavens.

"Never have I met such a formidable rival in my entire life. We are good friends but someday I will definitely surpass her. As the great Level 3 Cyclone Hand, it is only my destiny." A brown-haired bishoujo said explicitly.

"Hahh? That idiot? Well she has a bad temper so watch out. We've known each other since middle school so I know a lot about her clumsiness, though… she is kind and always thinking about the people around her I guess." A young blonde-haired boy who appears to be a bit shorter than your average high school student said.

"Haruka-san is…."

"Tatemiya Haruka-san could be the…"

"In all honesty, Tatemiya Haruka can…"

Many knew of Tatemiya Haruka's amazing display of bravery and elegance but only few know that…

"Eh? Didn't I pass through here before?" The long pony-tailed girl looked at her cellphone's map."What's with this cross-shaped thing and all these blue lines? I swear Academy City makes things too complicated."

Tatemiya Haruka who was on duty at this time wandered around District 7, clueless of where her destination was.

* * *

About an hour earlier inside Judgment's 164th branch….

"The warehouse which has been raided by Anti-Skill contained several types of weaponry including handguns, assault rifles, SMG's and grenade launchers." A girl named Mifune Hisako pointed at the image being projected on a large flat screen.

The Judgment's 164th branch had a similar office structure as any of the other branches in Academy City. The members here included Mifune Hisako, Hajime Kaiji, Mitogawa Hideki, Tatemiya Haruka and Yamagishi Kairi.

"Also, the Skill-Outs said to be responsible for hoarding these illegal weapons were said to belong to an organization called REBEL, a faction that is being financially backed up by some unknown source. Anti-Skill speculates that it is a foreign company with some vendetta against Academy City." Hisako added.

"Because of this incident, Judgment has been asked to survey several areas for suspicious activity specifically, Skill-Outs amassing in great numbers. Are we all clear on this?" Hajime Kaiji, a boy wearing a flat hat who seems to be their leader continued the briefing alongside Hisako in front of the three other members.

The three nodded in response.

"So the assignments will be… Mitogawa to Area A, Yamagishi to Area B, Hajime to Area C, while Mifune and Tatemiya will stay here as back up. Anyone who sees anything suspicious must contact Mifune immediately and wait for further instructions. Do not act recklessly, any questions?" Hajime gave out orders one after another with a voice that seems to be a bit lacking in emotion. It was monotonous but none of the members were concerned. He has been the chief of Judgment's 164th branch for over a year now. He was a stern leader who often trusts in his member's strengths and insights.

Haruka who was the last to join (and is still undergoing training during her off days from school) held great respect in Hajime Kaiji's leardership.

Everyone agreed on their leader's decision including Tatemiya Haruka however...

"I wish I could have gone out on the field instead."

From the small couch on one side of the office, Haruka sighed as she skimmed through reports from other Judgment branches.

"It couldn't be helped, Haruka," replied Hisako who was so engrossed in operating a computer on top of her desk. "These past few weeks have been hectic so who knows what might happen."

"I agree but… "

"No buts." Hisako replied immediately.

Haruka pouted for a bit before returning to her work.

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Haruka."

"Hm?"

"Aren't you cold in that?" The glasses-wearing girl pointed at what Haruka was wearing.

Haruka, apart from her Judgment armband and necktie, did not wear a blazer or even a vest outside of her dress shirt. She even folded the sleeves to make them shorter. It was October in Academy City and the temperature was so low that anyone would be called ridiculous if they wore such light clothing.

"What do you mean, Hisako-san?" Haruka tilted her head.

"Uhh… nothing…" Hisako made a wry smile.

Several minutes later…

"I-I can't take it anymore!" Haruka mentally cursed inside her head as her sweat dropped profusely.

There were several gigantic stacks of paper in front her, mostly records about Skill-Out activity in the past few days.

She knew that what she was doing was important to the investigation but the amount of work seemed endless.

"Umm… Hisako-san?" She said in a low voice, making a friendly smile while hiding her pain from the other girl.

"Yes?"

"Can I take a quick break outside?" She asked with the sweetest smile she could while mentally pleading for the other girl to say yes.

"Well if it's just a quick one, then sure. But don't go too far or someone might send for an immediate backup request while you were gone." Hisako replied thoughtlessly without looking away from the computer screen as continued to type something.

Without another word, Haruka hurriedly dashed off with incredible speed.

Reaching the vast, clear space outside the red bricked building that is their headquarters, Haruka stretched her thin arms and looked around the street. "Ahh… finally… Now where was that convenience store again?"

With a carefree smile on her face, the pony-tailed girl moved onward not knowing that serious trouble is awaiting her.

* * *

"Hm?" Haruka stopped near an intersection.

An old lady who had a hunched back and an old-style cane was fretting over when she should cross the wide, four-lane road.

"Ah! obaa-san, are you trying to cross the road? Let me help you." Haruka grabbed the old lady's hand and helped her cross the road.

"Take care now, obaa-san."

The pony-tailed esper made a refreshing smile which was known for grabbing the hearts of every boy in her school.

"Hmm… you would be a perfect bride for my son." The old lady stated while thanking her savior.

"Eh? I don't understand but I have somewhere I must-"

Suddenly a man wearing a black suit and briefcase bumped into Haruka before dashing away.

"S-sorry!"

"Geez… what was that abou-" Haruka suddenly noticed something fell off the man's pocket. It was a long and expensive-looking black wallet.

"Hey~! Mister! You dropped your wallet!" Haruka picked up the wallet and chased after the man with all her demonic might.

It did not take long for her to reach him.

"Huh? Oh! Thank you! Here, as a reward." The man pulled out a large bill from the wallet.

"EH? No I can't possibly-" Haruka was gonna reject the man's money when…

"WAHH!"

Suddenly, a young boy cried out in the park beside them.

"What's wrong little boy?"

The boy cried for a bit before pointing at the red balloon stuck in the tree.

"No problem."

Haruka jumped but was not able to reach the string of the balloon and suddenly, a tiny explosion occurred under her feet which then propelled her upwards, finally grabbing the balloon.

"Thanks onee-san!" The boy who now had his balloon back went towards the playground.

Haruka let out a sigh of relief before noticing something again.

"Ara ara? Misaka wonders where that boy wandered off to says Misaka as Misaka makes a pose that mothers do when their child is nowhere to be found." A young girl who seems to be around 10 years old looked around the park.

"KAWAII~!" Sparkles can be seen in Haruka's eyes as she headed towards the cute young girl.

"Ow! Ow! yells Misaka as Misaka tries to get away from the person who suddenly came up to her before pinching her cheek."

The little girl had short brown hair with an unusual ahoge sticking out.

"Misaka? Is that your name, ahoge-chan? Are you lost?" Haruka still brimming with excitement.

"Misaka is identified as a Misaka but Misaka much prefers to be called Last Order. And Misaka is not lost but is actually looking for that boy who promised to meet up somewhere around here says Misaka as Misaka remembers his vague promise," the young girl said.

"Eh~? Then should I help you look for him?" Haruka reached a hand out to the young girl named Last Order before the latter hesitatingly grabbed hold of it.

"Misaka hesitates to accept this teenage girl's help for the boy might, in the small chance, experience love at first sight and be stolen from Misaka says Misaka as Misaka expresses her doubt especially when the girl in question is wearing such light clothes."

"What is this boy like?" Haruka made an inquiry to Last Order.

"Well he is handsome, and strong, and always looks after Misaka says Misaka as she makes an approving nod."

"No I mean is what does he look like? Does he have any identifying features?"

"Hmm… he has white hair and uses a crutch says Misaka as Misaka thinks carefully."

"White hair? That's certainly an identifying feature." Haruka thinks that it is impossible to miss such a weird looking person as she looks around.

"He might be this way! Exclaims Misaka as she points towards a certain direction." Last Order ran towards a certain direction while dragging Haruka along. Her ahoge pointed towards the same direction as well.

"W-w-wait! Where are we going?"

"Just trust Misaka says Misaka as she reassures her passenger~!"

The two ran around the entire area, passing through places like coffee shops, department stores and narrow alleys. The pony-tailed esper girl was beginning to feel dizzy because of all the sudden turns she had to make as she followed the girl named Last Order.

* * *

After a while, the two girls stopped at the same park where they began their sudden adventure.

Haruka sat down at a nearby bench to catch her breath.

"He wasn't there either sighs Misaka as Misaka feels down." Last Order's ahoge curiously bends down.

"Maybe I should take you to my branch's office," said Haruka while still out of breath.

Suddenly, a person came up to them. He had white hair, red eyes like that of a beast, and a crutch extended from his hand.

"Is that him?" Haruka muttered while not taking her eyes off the white-haired boy, looking bewildered.

_He reminds me of a certain someone._

The boy took a few more steps before stopping in front of Last Order.

From out of nowhere, the boy landed a hand-chop on the little girl's head.

"Oi! You brat! I've been waiting here for 10 whole minutes." The boy known as Accelerator said in an angry tone.

Haruka stood up to protest but the boy ignored her and continued to scold Last Order.

"Misaka was here a while ago but you were nowhere to be found so Misaka decided to look for you with that person from Judgment, says Misaka as Misaka points towards the girl with the pony tail." Last Order pointed towards Haruka but Accelerator ignored it.

The boy who seemed to be on the verge of popping a blood vessel paused for a bit before letting out a sigh instead.

"Is that so? Then don't you have something to say to that person, you damn brat?"

Last Order tilted her head before realizing what the boy meant and then she turned towards Haruka.

"Misaka wishes to express her gratitude to you for staying with her throughout her journey, says Misaka as Misaka makes a quick but dramatic bow to the person." Last Order cheerily did as she was told.

"Ahh no it was nothing." Haruka started to get confused by the minute.

"Let's go." Accelerator headed towards the park's exit.

"Uhh ahmm… do you need some help?" Haruka showed concerned for the boy with the crutch and approached him from the side.

However Accelerator ignored her, still walking forward.

"See you pony-tailed Judgment person! Says Misaka as Misaka waves goodbye." Last Order twirled around a bit before running towards Accelerator.

Haruka just stood there in the park, watching the two as they left.

"Hahhh… what was that seriously? And what is up with that boy?" Haruka scratched her head in frustration.

She had only met one other person who could make her feel this way. If it had been _that boy_, then she would have flat out punched him square in the face but she was well aware that she couldn't do such a thing to a disabled person.

She remained in that position for a bit before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Well whatever. It's not my problem anymore. Time to get going." Haruka took a step but then stopped immediately."Eh? Where was I again?"

Afterwards...

"Let's see… I was near an intersection before I arrived at the… or was it a department store?" Haruka operated a light red cellphone in her hands.

She moved to Academy City several months ago, took the Judgment Preliminary Entry Test shortly afterwards which allowed her to work as an honorary member while undergoing training, and became the top of her class.

So why does she not know the way to her own branch office?

"Huh? Where was north again?"

Haruka continued to move aimlessly around, believing that she was still in District 7 when suddenly,

"Oi! Be careful or you will break the stuff!"

The girl suddenly heard a loud voice within a dark alley just ahead.

"It's fine~! They're pretty durable! I've tested them before."

Haruka hid behind a dumpster close by and took a small peek around the corner where she saw two men being surrounded by a pile of boxes and a delivery truck. She immediately noticed peculiar things about them.

Both of them did not wear work clothes or uniforms. And even if they were, this was a strange place to be loading packages. They were not being brought up from a loading area of a store, but instead, the rough asphalt if the street. It's like the packages were just left here by someone and then picked up by another.

The truck, which had its back wide open, did not contain any indication that it was affiliated with any company or organization such as a nameplate, label, or a sign on the sides of the truck. It also looked a bit rundown, clearly not made by Academy City.

Among the pile of boxes was one which was not closed and was showing its contents for the world to see.

"What are those things?"

Haruka peered over and saw little black and white solid objects like toys.

"So it's District 10 this time?" said one of the men who was wearing a black jersey and had piercings around his ears.

"Yeah, the boys there must be pissed that we took so long." This time, a man with long hair and leather jacket.

Both of them picked up each box and placed them inside the truck.

"It can't be helped though. We have to deposit these things in small places and have other members pick them up so we can avoid Anti-Skill checkpoints."

"Could they be…" The girl muttered as she furrowed her brows.

"Who the hell came up with this idea anyway? It's a real hassle using such a roundabout way."

The two finished their packing and prepared to move out.

The truck released smog out of its muffler before moving out of the alley, confirming that it was indeed not a standard Academy City vehicle.

Haruka was now absolutely certain they were…

"Skill-Outs…" The pony-tailed Judgment member kicked the ground suddenly, shifted her center of gravity, and landed on the adjacent wall.

A trail of molten steps can be seen as she ran on the completely vertical brick wall. Just as the truck left the alley and turned left, she made an explosive jump which propelled her forward, surpassing the speed of the truck. This time, she gently fell down above the delivery truck as if she was wearing a parachute.

"I don't know how long this ride will be but I should stay hidden in the meantime." Haruka said that as she drew a circle on the truck's roof which then made an opening she could enter.

To a normal stranger, this feat was like something out of a movie's special effects but what Tatemiya Haruka did was very simple: She generated and manipulated heat around her.

* * *

Back at Judgment's 164th branch office,

Hisako, the only one left behind was still typing away on her computer.

She was absolutely calm, only briefly...

"You've got some nerve ditching your work, you damn trainee!" The bespectacled Judgment girl crushed the keyboard in her hands.

* * *

"Huh? Was the roof always like this?" A man noticed a circular pattern above the interior of his delivery truck which used to be a gaping hole that one pony-tailed esper made.

The delivery truck was now parked inside an underground parking lot.

"Hey, stop slacking off!" Another man stood in front of an entrance to some kind of building some distance from the truck.

Haruka now hid behind the truck's front which was facing away from the building. She got out via the same method she used in the first place.

"I should contact Hisako-san quickly. The Skill-Outs seems to be planning something big." Haruka took a peek at the Skill-Outs that were outside the building.

Haruka reached to her pocket for her cellphone but was stopped by a hand which suddenly grabbed her arm.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing here?" The man grabbing the girl's arm had a nasty smile but immediately noticed the green armband around Haruka's right. "Tsk. Judgement eh?"

"Shit!" Haruka then used her esper power without a second thought.

A searing pain coursed through the man's hand. Smoke emanated from it suddenly.

"ARGHH!" The man bellowed as his hand touched an extremely hot surface that could be compared to a sizzling frying pan. The man then withdrew his hand, then the girl wordlessly unleashed a side-kick to the man's stomach to knock him away. It was all executed so smoothly even though she was still a rookie.

A group of thugs noticed the commotion and began to alert the remaining Skill-Outs inside the building.

"SHE'S AN ESPER!" The man whose hand got burnt really hard shouted a warning to his comrades.

Soon, Haruka found herself surrounded by countless armed thugs.

Several members open fired at the young high school girl, their weaponry consisted of lightweight SMG's and handguns, however the girl to stood motionless.

Was she so scared that she couldn't move? Was what some of the members thought.

Then the one-way firefight lasted for a several seconds. The barrage of gunshots echoed throughout the parking lot. However a peculiar phenomenon happened, the shower of bullets exploded like firecrackers as they approached a certain distance from Haruka.

A cloud of smoke and gunpowder accumulated together between the mass number of Skill-Outs and the young girl.

The first thing they saw was a set of amber-colored eyes. The young esper was unharmed. Not a single bullet touched her body.

The Skill-Outs stood there witnessing the unnatural event occur with their eyes. They were unable to ascertain what this girl's power was.

Suddenly, the entire group of thugs was swept by an unpleasant sensation like being cooked inside an oven.

The temperature rose inside the parking lot.

The Level 4 esper was not done yet.

Guns dropped from the Skill-Outs' hands one after another. Their surface became too hot to hold with bare hands.

Taking this opportunity, Haruka aimed her palm towards the middle of the group's formation before releasing several shots of condensed thermal radiation in the form of spheres.

The shots exploded as they hit the ground, knocking away groups of men.

This was the ability of Tatemiya Haruka. Her code name given to her by researchers, apart from The Great Tatemiya Haruka-sama~ , was Flare Cloak.

By manipulating the molecules around her with Telekinesis, Haruka is able to release an intense wave of heat in a specific radius. She was also capable of emitting heat in various areas around her body to form something like a thin layer of heat.

Haruka looked around, slightly exhausted. There was no one left standing.

"That takes care of that, now then to contact Hisako-san." The young girl dialed the number of her coworker but got interrupted suddenly. A bullet hit her phone, smashing it to smithereens. Bits and fragments of the phone fell to the ground while her hand was unscathed.

"Why don't you keep me company for a while?"

A carefree and almost singing voice rang throughout that underground parking lot.

A figure appeared out of the shadows beyond the entrance to the building. It steadily took a step each through the darkness as it approached the girl.

The young Judgment girl took a fighting stance. She focused hard as this new enemy approached. _I missed one? There must be more in that building. I have to get out of here quick and find some means of contacting Hisako-san._

The man approached Haruka casually. She could see the sly grin on his face which seemed to mock her entire being. He had a high caliber handgun in his right hand and wore a high school uniform. It was dark so she couldn't fully see his face but judging from his stature and clothes, his age was most likely not too far from her's.

Taking the man by surprise, Haruka quickly activated her power and roasted the man like turkey—that didn't happen.

After noticing the lack of reaction from the man, she held her fighting stance, not showing the deep confusion in her mind.

_Why aren't my powers working? His gun should've exploded by now,_ is what Tatemiya Haruka thought. She focused hard on this new enemy which approached her with every passing second.

"Did you know? Capacity Down works best in enclosed space since sound bounces from the walls. You won't be able to hear it though since it is a special model." He said with a smirk on his sly face.

Sweat drops formed on the young girl's face.

"Don't worry~ I'll stop Mikoshiba from taking a peek at your panties tonight." After saying those words to the girl, who got confused even more, the man closed their distance instantly. His speed was almost inhuman.

Haruka reacted instantly and moved to deliver a strike with her left elbow but was countered by Shin's right. Their strengths seemed to be on par which other. Her eyes widened, but his mocking smile never faded.

With smooth movements, the Skill-Out shifted his position, rotated his body clockwise into a semi-circle and slammed his gun's handle against Haruka's temple, knocking her with a dull impact.

The Level 4's consciousness faded into darkness.

* * *

**END AN:**

**Bishoujo means beautiful girl in Japanese**

**Ahoge is a lock of hair that sticks out of a person's head**

**The Areas stated by Hajime are all within District 7**

**Haruka picked up fighting techniques during her training in Judgment.**

**Panties are panties.**

**EOF**


	4. REBEL part 1

**Chapter 4 – REBEL/-pt.1**

* * *

_Academy City sure has lots of skyscrapers. Even though it's a rotten city, it sure can be beautiful at this time of the day._

Takayama Akito was deep in thought as he looked at all the tall buildings beneath him. The sun painted the sky a deep orange as it began to set. A large blimp passed by from the right showing the current weather forecasts through the large monitor on its side.

From this height, the people from below looked like tiny ants frivolously moving about in random directions.

_I haven't made much progress in all these esper business.… What's this city doing anyway?! How could they just give out random powers to damn children?!_

_Still, Academy City is the pioneer of science. Many of today's technological advances were because of its forward thinking, like that space elevator. Perhaps there is more to this city than poisonous experiments… Maybe I should change myself … If only I could…_

_It's just that…._

"I HATE THESE GOD DAMN ESPEEEEEEEERSSSSSSSSSS!" He shouted his frustration at the wide open sky. Some people heard his cry from the streets down below but shrugged it off in less than a second as they continued with their daily routines.

Takayama Akito was stuck on a disc-shaped structure on top of an immense 90-story luxury building called "The Thorn" for some reason…

* * *

Earlier that morning,

Takayama Akito, a normal high school student at Academy City, was just about to leave his dorm room. He had wild blonde hair that was dyed and brown eyes. He wore a white hoodie under his high school uniform's navy blue blazer. He was an absolutely normal student who had no special powers whatsoever, a normal Level 0. To be frank, he was at the very bottom of the esper hierarchy of Academy City.

There were regular classes today, unlike yesterday where a special power scan took place. The subjects in his school's curriculum included the usual, Modern Japanese, Mathematics, Linguistics, Science and History. Of course, special subjects from the Power Development Curriculum were also heavily taught.

As the problem student he was, he often skipped classes, but for some reason, he felt like trying a bit harder today, perhaps thanks to a certain someone. That certain someone's voice might have moved him slightly into regaining a fragment of the motivation he once had, just as he was finally about to quit this tormenting endeavor of crossing the border between Level 0 and Level 1.

As Akito reached for his room's entrance, a loud voice resounded on the upper floor of the dorm.

"Oi! Index! Don't you dare eat all the stuff inside the refrigerator which Kamijou-san luckily got from that bargain sale you hear?!" A voice that seemed to belong to a teenager could be heard.

"Tch… Those annoying people from the floor above are noisy as always…" Annoyed, the boy scowled as he locked the door to his room. He then walked along the long, winding street and turned to the right corner of the next street, just as he had always done.

Nothing much goes on in his life which he could say was extraordinary or exciting in Academy City. His daily routine only revolved around going to school, and not going to school, the former being less than the latter as he was prone to skipping anyway. The very reason for this was that he hated every student at his school, even if they were a Level 0 just like him. To him, all they ever do was to follow Academy City's every whim, like mindless insects. They would obediently do what scientists tell them to do, they would increase their levels in the hope of getting attention from Academy City's higher ups, and they would always think that Academy City was right. Thus, he often skipped out, much like any other student who dislikes studying.

In short, his life was monotonous.

His walk was now leading him back into that world, however, he decided to attend today since he was feeling unusually motivated. Although he often played hookie, he had already memorized the long, winding route to his school, so much that he closes his eyes every so often, and listened to the music that was coming out of his earphones without a care in the world. He had already estimated each distance from the next turning point by the number of steps he took. He didn't need to look in order to know where he was going.

_That stalker will be there again…_ The boy remembered the supposed class representative of his class, the one who wanted to stop Akito's juvenile behavior, and how he in return, brushed him off angrily. _Should I apologize or just forget anything happened?_ Feeling slightly guilty from his carelessness and impulsive outburst, the boy contemplated.

Suddenly, with closed eyes, he collided into what felt like a solid object in the middle of a side walk.

"Ow!" He stumbled backwards. A painful sensation covered his nose which was the first to make contact with this object.

The boy was sure there was nothing there a while ago when he took a brief glance at the side walk before closing his eyes to listen to his music.

"Huh?" Akito looked at his front where he made contact with something like a wall but there was nothing there, only an empty side walk. He was confused for a second before he silently stood up.

This time, he walked forward slowly.

*Thud*

His forehead bumped into something again, but there was still nothing in front of him.

"What… is this…?" he muttered as he touched the space where he bumped his head.

It was like an invisible wall was just standing in the middle of the side walk, preventing him from going any further.

The boy noticed that the invisible wall joined perpendicularly with the white wall of a building to his right. He tried kicking it but nothing happened. It was solid as a brick wall. He tried going around through the road to his left but another invisible wall stopped him.

"This is getting really annoying…"

He reached for the top of the wall, hoping to climb it but a third wall erupted itself….

The boy began to grow desperate. He then decided to retreat for now so he went back the way he came but a fourth invisible wall trapped him.

It was a sunny morning in Academy City, and several people were walking along a peaceful sidewalk when they saw a young boy across the street. The silly boy seems to be touching objects that do not exist like a mime.

"Grr… what the hell is happening?!" He turned around to hide his embarrassment after seeing several strangers smiling at him. "This is definitely an esper's doing but…" He looked around the area but didn't notice anyone suspicious, or rather, there was no one around except for those people who passed by him when suddenly, an idea occurred to him.

"Wa-wait could it be? No way…" The boy smiled for the first time in a while. "Did I just reach Level 1?! Is this my power?!"

An overwhelming feeling welled up within him.

"UWOOOOHHHHH!" He let out a big shout and raised his fist in triumph as if he just reached the end of a long battle.

The boy's favorite victory music from a certain RPG rang in the background to commemorate his leveling up (not really).

The dawn of a new era has occurred.

Yes, Takayama Akito, the blonde-haired badass delinquent, once known to be a genius has obtained the power to trap himself inside a bo—he slammed his fist on the imaginary wall.

In the end, the boy rejected the idea for if it were true, then he would be stranded in the middle of a sidewalk his entire life. He would gain weird nicknames like "Sidewalk Akito-kun~" and be treated like a hobo. His two seniors would come to the outside of the barrier and console him out of pity. Haruka would use her talent and gain some sort of influential position, like becoming the president of Japan, and propose a plan to destroy the invisible barrier.

The boy then considered other possibilities for the barrier's existence before noticing a small, odd-looking strip of paper stuck to the wall of a certain building to his right. He took it off and found a message that read, "Follow this maze if you don't want your Haruka-oneechan to be harmed." The message had a mocking tone he thought was most likely meant to agitate him. He scowled after reading the mysterious note before crumpling it into a ball and tossing it into a nearby trashcan.

_Tsk... What has that girl gotten herself into this time?_ The boy made a disgruntled expression. _What is this maze though? I'm completely trapped inside a box for crying out loud!_ He inspected the barriers again and noticed an opening appeared from where he had come from. That strip of paper must have been the trigger for the change.

Without another word, the Level 0 made his move, completely forgetting about school.

* * *

Inside a certain high school in District 7,

Freshmen students were casually talking to each other as they waited for their homeroom teacher to arrive. It was your average peaceful day.

"Uhmm… Tomoya-kun have you seen Haruka-san around?"

Aki, one of Haruka's friends, approached and asked the class rep while looking unusually nervous. Both of them were on the same class and their seats were far apart.

"Hm? No, I haven't seen her. Did you check her class?" Tomoya replied.

"Yes but she was nowhere to be found…" The meek, short-haird girl muttered.

The glasses-boy found it strange that Aki was searching for Haruka so early in the morning.

"You seem very close to Tatemiya-san, Aki-chan. Hm? What's wrong?" The class rep noticed Aki's nervousness.

Tomoya tilted his head wondering what was going on.

* * *

Takayama Akito ran through the streets of Academy City which were surrounded by invisible dividers like a maze. Only the boy could touch them. He ran his fingertips along the invisible boundary as he moved to identify any openings in the maze.

In order to get a clue for the reason behind the maze, he established the sidewalk where he got the strip of paper, which was around only one block in distance away from his school, as a starting point.

_How the hell is this possible?_

From his inspection earlier at the starting point, Akito determined that the maze had a height of 7 feet relative to the ground which remained consistent wherever he went. However, the width varied with each portion but was usually a meter long. He was now several dozens of meters from the starting point where he had took the strip of paper.

Every person, object, cleaning robot he encountered phased through the wall as if it didn't exist.

_So I am really the only one being affected huh? Guess I'll just play along for now._

He did not expect to be in such a weird situation first thing in the morning but he remained calm in order to know the nature of the enemy. He reached for his pocket to get his phone and dialed Tatemiya Haruka's number which she insistently gave to him despite all his retorts.

The phone rang for a while but there was no answer.

He tried again but with the same result.

"I should've expected that." The boy muttered. He then retracted the phone back into his pocket. He didn't bother contacting Anti-Skill or Judgment because he feared that the enemy might be watching him. Truly, he did not expect to be in such a curious, and possibly dangerous situation first thing in the morning.

He slowed down each time he came close to a corner of a street because he anticipated that the walls might make him turn at a specific direction.

He crossed through an underpass, several alleys and parks all around District 7. Not minding all the stares he was receiving.

The passage made up of invisible walls did not seem to follow a particular direction or pattern, and it felt like it will continue on endlessly however, it finally seemed like it has reached an end when it made a straight path towards an unknown building.

"What the hell?"

He did not proceed any further. Confusion covered his entire face.

The building was a traditional Japanese bathhouse. In front of it was a small road where the boy was standing in the middle of.

The boy tried to feel around the invisible walls on his left and right sides, and sure enough, there were no openings, which meant he had to enter the public bathhouse.

He carefully slid the door open, peeking inside. There was nobody around the lobby area including the person who was supposed to tend to the counter.

Akito hesitatingly went inside. It was his first time in a bathhouse. The interior was more spacious than he had originally thought. There were traditional Japanese decorations all around. There was a resting area to his left and a vending machine some distance away. He continued to follow the invisible walls until he reached the middle of the lobby area in front of the counter which was in between the entrances to the male and female changing rooms. Further inside would be the gender-specific baths themselves.

There was an opening to his left side which led to the female baths.

"H-hey!… this isn't funny anymore. Seriously, whoever did this must be one sick bastard!" Akito said disdainfully.

Looking left and right, making sure there was nobody around, he slowly walked forward with every bit of caution before peaking underneath the cloth which hang from above the entrance and had a character that meant 'women'.

The changing room was unusually covered in steam but he could see several rows of lockers nearby. He heard the clanking sound of one open from far away followed by a sound of footsteps which slowly faded, most likely heading towards the bath area.

The delinquent was well aware that if he were to be seen doing such suspicious things, someone will report him to the authorities and be labelled as an extreme super pervert his entire life. Sweat ran down his face after realizing that fact.

"Arghhhh! Whatever!"

After turning the situation over and over in his head in hope that he must have misunderstood something at some point, Takayama Akito had reached his limit. _That girl_ was in trouble and, no matter how much he found her annoying, he had to save her but it required him to enter a steamy bath which was filled with women and was absolutely forbidden for men. He doesn't know why a public bath was related to all this, but he was lead here by the 'enemy' so he had to comply in order to save that girl. He considered all the women who might be changing or had just gone out of the bath and only had towels on.

In the end, there was only one option left for him.

He then took a deep breath and…

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"

The young delinquent charged forwards into the land where no man has gone before. He closed his eyes and stretched his arms to the sides, using the invisible walls as his guide.

* * *

**END AN:**

**This ridiculous idea came into my mind recently. It was too difficult to turn into a story though but in the end it was too weird to pass up.**

**Here's hoping for more feedback.**

**EOF**


	5. REBEL part 2

**Chapter 5 – REBEL/-pt.2**

* * *

Takayama Akito was standing on a small road in front of a traditional Japanese bathhouse with sweat pouring down his neck as he grasped his knees. He had blindly followed the invisible walls around the women's changing room of the public bath which led him back outside. He was unaware that there were several middle-aged women and college students wearing only white bath towels. Standing in front of their lockers and getting ready to change into their clothes, their stares looked dumbfounded as they watched him run around like a young juvenile boy at the peak of his youth..

"Oh my, kids these days are so bold~" said one young housewife as she crossed her arms under her endowed chest wrapped in a towel.

Shortly afterwards, he found another white strip of paper near the door of the bathhouse which read:

"Continue following this maze."

"Damn…. These bastards are just toying with me. I'm getting real tired of this shit," Akito spat out in annoyance. He tried to catch his breath for a minute before moving on, erasing the recent embarrassing events from his mind. "Seriously, what kind of power is this? I've never heard of anything that could materialize invisible things out of nowhere." Right after he pounded his fist into the space to his side and into the solid, unforeseeable wall, he straightened his body up. patted his blazer, and continued to his next destination. His wild blonde hair was moist from all the steam from the bathhouse.

The invisible walls guided Akito along the small road which can only fit two vehicles on both sides, past the public bathhouse. He passed by a number of houses and dorms that surrounded the road which extended for a mile. The road was completely empty.

"That girl owes me big time for this…"

Tatemiya Haruka was the only person Akito knew who originally had no connection to Academy City and the time they spent together, harassing each other in middle school was the only comforting bond the boy had in this twisted city. Though, he got jealous of her after she had reached Level 4 in such a short period of time after arriving in Academy City, so much that he even studied her Personal Reality, equations and other characteristics to a certain extent in order to progress his own level but it didn't bear any fruit. Even after studying other espers and how they came to have their power, he couldn't find the specific path to becoming one.

A three-way junction could finally be seen as he was reaching the end of the small road.

He suddenly took his phone out from his right pocket, turned it on and brought it over to his ear.

"…."

The boy then removed the phone from his ear and turned it off after a minute. He did not call anybody.

"Just as I thought, there's something that's following me… " He muttered as he ran. His left hand was still sliding through the invisible wall as a guide.

He had briefly took a quick glance at the reflection from his phone's screen as he tried not to draw any attention by pretending to call someone, until he saw a large blurry white figure with an appearance similar to a blob or a cloud, like a white ghost, about 6 meters behind him. He was slightly taken aback by the unexpected object but he kept his composure.

"Could that be... ?"

There was no reaction from the ones he assumed was watching him when he tried to call his friend earlier so he thought that they must have been lax with their security. At least however, this ghost-like object behind him has confirmed his suspicion.

"I thought it was odd that a strip of paper would just appear out of thin air. These guys are seriously mocking me. But I can't make my move yet, I have to wait for a chance." He muttered as he reached the end of the junction.

The end of the junction brought about new scenery far different from the peaceful District 7.

Akito was now in District 15 which was Academy City's largest shopping district. Nearly hundreds of people gathered around the area circulating through all the malls and department stores that towered over the streets. There were dozens of billboards that stood atop several buildings in different streets. The area was completely filled with noise of multiple origins such that a person may not be able to hear what the person standing next to them was saying.

He proceeded further along the street he was on, trying not to bump into anyone while still following the invisible walls. He hesitated to check on his pursuers again using his phone or the windows in front of shops, but he eventually reached a large intersection that was completely engulfed with a massive number of people, similar to the Shibuya crossing.

"This is the first time I've been in this part of this district. I think this is the center of the whole district." He looked at all the people that surrounded him.

The walls led him straight forward to a gigantic tower-like structure, taller than any building he has ever seen in his life. Its walls were a pale platinum color from top to bottom and all the glass windows it had were a dark shade of blue. There was a big needle sticking out at the very top and a circular disc platform surrounding its base.

Akito knew this building by its famous name, "The Thorn". The building was owned by a big Japanese banking firm and was known throughout Academy City as one of the biggest structures ever built in Japanese soil. The lower floors contained dozens of department stores and high class restaurants while the middle and upper floors contained luxurious resorts, parks and a hotel.

"Well this was unexpected. Is he gonna make me go shopping this time?" He spat out sarcastically.

There were about 50 people going in and out of the first floor of the building. Akito noticed several drum-shaped cleaning robots roaming around the area. The floor area was rectangular in shape and could easily surpass 300 of meters in length. The invisible walls made him go around in circle on the first floor and then he saw the strip note again.

"Go to the top floor and climb the stairs to the thorn."

By this time, after going through all those strange tasks and analyzing them, he had finally reached a conclusion to what the esper's ability was and his effective range.

The invisible walls led him to one of the five elevators in the first floor. The elevator had 6 columns of buttons to accommodate all the floors designated on this elevator of the luxurious building, which looked very bizzare to him. Seeing so many floor buttons looked so surreal for him however this was not the time to be sightseeing so he chose the very top floor from the wide selection of buttons. After reaching the top floor, he headed towards a thick pillar in the middle of the circular floor which contained an entrance to a staircase and had firefighting equipment sealed in a box in case of emergency. There was not a single person on the top floor which was entirely surrounded by glass panels used for viewing the scenery around The Thorn.

Akito inspected his surroundings at the circular platform at the very top of the Thorn. He was so high up that anyone in his situation would have been frozen stiff at looking down below. The five invisible walls surrounded him entirely on all sides, forming a cube. It would be physically impossible for him to escape this.

After resigning himself to his frustration, the boy shouted his deep hatred for espers before calming down and proceeding with his plan. "That girl isn't here huh. These guys just wanted to delay me for something."

He took a black widescreen phone, part of the latest lines of phones with touchscreen capability in Academy City, from his messenger bag.

Peering onto the phone's screen which showed several images from security cameras in a grid-like fashion, he saw several images. "So there really were two of them. One was an esper which specialized in concealing people and the other was a Hypnosis-type that needs to be in a certain range from his target in order for his psychic suggestion ability to work." He highlighted one panel of image which came from a security camera from the floor beneath him. It showed slightly blurry figures of two boys standing a meter away from the entrance to the stairs, one had a rather chubby physique and was reading manga while the other one was skinny, had Kappa-like hair and his left hand was on the other boy's right shoulder.

Earlier, Akito found out that objects he owned could pass through the barriers, which he tested by throwing one end of his earphones he was holding to the other side of the barrier on top of The Thorn, which led him to figure out that the power was some sort of Hypnotism which fooled his senses instead of a power which projected objects physically. This was also consistent with the fact that other people and objects passed through the barriers earlier while he was running through District 7 and the wide crossing down at the streets of District 15.

The skinny boy who had his hand on the chubby one was probably a concealment-specializing esper which can turn himself and other people invisible by touching them, a sort of light-manipulating ability, Akito called it Ghost since he can see their blurry reflection through a mirror. However, using the image processing of the security camera, he was able to reduce the effects of the boy's power slightly.

"They look familiar somehow… oh well those two are dead meat now." He then took a semi-oval shaped game console with a logo of 'PDP' from his bag and rapidly tapped on its buttons.

* * *

Inside the top floor of The Thorn,

"How long were we supposed to mess with him again?' The skinny boy with the Kappa-like hair inquired to his friend.

"Beats me… That guy said we should keep him here as long as possible so let's say we stop after I finish reading Magical Powered Kanamin." The chubby one of the two said without turning away from the manga he was reading.

"Serves that guy right! After beating us up he got himself into trouble with some Skill-Outs and now he has paid his price."

Suddenly, three drum-shaped robots appeared from the elevator in front of them.

"TARGET INITIALIZED. CLEANING SEQUENCE ENGAGED." A digital voice spoke from the robots' speakers. Like eyes, the lights installed at the head of their body changed from green to red. They fixed the position of their wheels and charged at full-speed in a pyramid formation towards the two boys.

"Wha-what the hell is going on?!" The skinny boy panicked and removed his hand from the other boy in order to evade one of the three robots rushing towards their middle.

"Gwaaahhhh!" The chubby boy on the left stumbled a bit before getting hit by a robot.

The robots ceased shortly afterwards.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, DAMN ESPERS!"

Appearing suddenly from the stairs behind them was a young boy with dyed blonde hair carrying a fire extinguisher. His eyes were flaring with anger. He was the Level 0 they were tasked to imprison, Takayama Akito.

As he ran with the energy of a lion which found its prey, he sprayed the contents of the fire extinguisher mercilessly on the two boys before throwing the tank to the chubby boy thus eliminating his Hypnotism ability from the battle. Now only one esper remained.

The skinny boy used his Ghost to conceal himself however Akito, a Level 0, the non-esper of the three, was still able to see the white chemicals from the fire extinguisher which he had sprayed unto the boy, giving him some visibility.

Akito slammed his body against the boy who was partially invisible, before delivering a quick right hook to the area where he assumed was the face.

"Arghh!" The boy was then unable to maintain his Ghost, showing his entire body.

"So... Whose idea was that bathhouse?" Grabbing the collar of the skinny as he sat on top him, Akito asked with a sadistic smile.

"I-I'll tell you what I know so please don't hurt me!" Despair sank on the skinny boy's heart as he witnessed his defeat.

* * *

Inside a certain hotel room inside The Thorn,

"…. so we have our hands full with the Roman Catholic Church on the outside and the Skill-Outs on the inside. The Skill-Outs especially have been causing quite a stir around Academy City." A medium-sized monitor sat atop a coffee table near a window at one end of the room. A voice of a grown man came from the monitor which only showed static on the screen.

The room looked tidy and luxurious, something that was often found in five star hotels frequented by celebrities. The curtains which covered some of the light passing through the window were made of fine fabric with gold lining threads racing through the edges. The carpet was a dark velvet color, soft and free of dust. And circulating around the room was a cool scent, not unlike perfume, but nonetheless it created a mysterious and lonely feel to the room.

"Who cares about that crap? Just skip the useless banter and tell me what you want me to do." A young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and wearing a dark maroon suit lay on top of a comfortable-looking bed some distance away from the monitor. He was alone in the luxurious hotel room.

"You are unruly as ever, you damn brat. Anyway, we have received reports of Skill-Out activity in a certain part of District 10. The report statest that they are circulating vast amounts of weapon parts while using toys as a camouflage to deceive Anti-Skill. We also just received info that they recently captured a Level 4 from Judgment and might be trying to sell her off to their foreign investor for experimentation in exchange for more weaponry and equipment. SCHOOL is to take down the Skill-Outs in that area and prevent them from exporting that esper out of the country to protect Academy City secrets." The voice from the monitor said explicitly.

"I'll do it myself. It might be good practice if I ever have to take down the Number One. Anyway, about that Level 4, is she strong?" The young man asked curiously.

"She originally infiltrated a Skill-Out facility and took out most of the men there but was taken down due to a device known as Capacity Down, which is used to hinder an esper's ability and rendering them unable to activate their powers."

"That's good enough. I'll bring her to our side. SCHOOL is lacking in firepower for the upcoming battle. No problems right?" The young man smiled.

"Just finish things quickly before other organizations of the dark side exploit this situation." The monitor turned off suddenly, signaling the end of their conversation.

"Such a troublesome errand. At least I get a prize for my efforts this time." The young man known as the Number Two Level 5 Dark Matter, Kakine Teitoku, formed a rip-like smile on his handsome face as he planned his abduction of the Level 4 esper. He then casually got up and left the room to begin his mission.

* * *

"Tch… That girl wasn't there and those scumbags just wasted my time. I can't tell if they're lying or not though so I have to check up on the school." Muttering to himself, Takayama Akito ran across the streets of Academy City.

He had tied and left the two espers on the circular platform of The Thorn before locking the door to the stairs. The cleaning robots were reprogrammed into guard dogs in case they tried to leave their prison.

He was now on the large intersection of District 15 and was heading towards his school in District 7 which was quite a distance away. "Espers really are a pain in the ass. I wish they would just go to hell already." A disdain expression appeared on the boy's face.

By the time he had reached his school, classes were already over and a lot of students were already leaving the area. The sun was about to set.

"Huh? Takayama-san? So you finally had a change of heart and decided to come to school~!" Atsuchi Tomoya, his class representative, was in front of the school gate when he stumbled upon Akito who was out of breath. The bespectacled boy gave a triumphant pose as if he just accomplished his mission. "Though you missed class completely, I'll let you off the hook so just borrow my notes but please be punctual next time."

"Shut it, four-eyes. Have you seen that girl?" Akito tried to desperately catch his breath.

"_That girl_? You mean Tatemiya-san? She was absent the whole day apparently. Aki-chan even went around the entire school looking for her." Tomoya rubbed his chin as he recalled.

The delinquent felt his heart sank as he heard those words.

"What's wrong Takayama-san?" The class representative asked.

Without warning, Akito began to run towards a certain direction away from the school.

"W-w-wait Takayama-san!" Tomoya grabbed Akito's arm before he could proceed any further. "Tatemiya-san is in trouble isn't she?"

"I don't have time to waste with you. Let go…"

"In that case, let me help you!" Tomoya pleaded.

"You'll just get in the way, damn esper…"

"I won't! In fact, my Clairvoyance will be able to help you track down Tatemiya-san!" Tomoya said desperately, determined not to let the young boy go alone.

It was true. Akito who had no power whatsoever had an impossible task of tracking a girl within such a large city as Academy City with only a vague idea in his mind. Having an esper that specializes in searching would be an immense help. Akito was aware of this but…

"Please, Takayama-san!" The bespectacled boy with black hair tightened his grip around Akito's arm.

The delinquent cursed his powerlessness before….

"... Just don't trip me up, esper." Akito faced Tomoya who then let go of his arm.

"Yes!" Tomoya did a salute to the other boy who then sighed at the bespectacled boy's energy. "So do we have any leads, Takayama-san?"

"Just call me 'Akito'. That boy with the Ghost ability said he was paid by a bunch of thugs, most likely Skill-Outs, so we might get some clue in District 10." Akito said explicitly.

Tomoya happily nodded but suddenly asked something that was out of topic.

"By the way Akito-kun…."

"?"

"Aren't you still identified as an esper even though you're a Level 0?' Tomoya tilted his head while questioning the young boy's earlier remark which implied that he was not an esper.

"..."

Akito kicked Tomoya's shin after hearing the glasses boy question his cool line. Tomoya howled in pain.

With their new found alliance, the two boys made their move and left District 7 in order to save their friend.

* * *

They arrived at a desolate part of District 10 using a bus.

There were few people around the area and the overall atmosphere seemed bleak, such was District 10.

Without wasting any time, Akito began asking random strangers for the whereabouts of their friend while Tomoya used his Clairvoyance to see through all the nearby buildings as much as he could with his ability's level.

But in the end, they couldn't find any leads. It was night time already in Academy City.

"Damn it… not a single person saw her…." Akito slumped down on a bench and thought of other alternatives for the girl's location.

"Akito-kun… that truck that passed us by just now…."

"Huh? What about that truck?" Akito looking puzzled.

"It had some weird cargo. There were black and white mechanical parts but there were also some toys of the same color mixed in. I think if those parts were combined, it would have an appearance– no it would definitely become something like a dangerous weapon, like a gun for example…" Tomoya stated his findings to the young boy.

"Like this?" Akito pulled out a handgun which had black and white color in a puzzle-like design.

"W-w-where'd you get that? That's dangerous!" Tomoya nervously waved for the young boy to put the gun away.

"I snagged it from one of the two idiots that made me go through some annoying treasure hunt." Akito said with a bored tone as he didn't want to recall that incident anymore. "I think we should follow that truck. That girl might've tried to recklessly ambush a Skill-Out hideout while she was out patrolling as part of Judgment."

Akito's guess almost hit the mark, however, he did not consider the possibility that Tatemiya Haruka, the idol of his entire school and the student relied upon by her teachers, got lost while going to a convenience store and just happened to stumble upon some Skill-Outs.

"U-umm… well if you put it that way… she does have destructive tendencies sometimes..." Tomoya forced a smile as a sweat bullet formed on his face.

The two followed the delivery truck as it went past a few blocks before reaching a rectangular building which was surrounded by a fence a short distance from its walls. There were about 5 people in front of the building so they decided to hide behind the bush on the adjacent vacant lot near one side of the fence to the left of the building. The delivery truck had entered the entrance to the underground parking lot in front of them.

"So, how is it?" Akito inquired to the boy with the ability to see through solid objects.

"I am still only Level 3, I can only see this side of the underground parking lot, the first and second floor, and only a quarter of the third floor of the building, Akito-kun. We might have to come a bit closer." Tomoya said quietly.

"Let me try something…" Akito pulled out a widescreen phone from his messenger bag and typed several texts inside a command line interface of a certain application. Several lines of text which Tomoya couldn't understand appeared from the phone's screen. "No good… there's no wireless access point around." He put the phone back into his bag and started moving again. "Let's gun it." Without warning, he climbed the fence as soon as he saw the coast was clear.

"W-wait Akito-kun!" Tomoya tried to shout but lowered his voice instead in order to not draw any attention before climbing the fence as well.

They ran stealthily through the grounds towards the building before reaching a door beside the entrance to the underground parking lot. Tomoya had his Clairvoyance on to ensure that they won't bump into anyone.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone past that door." Tomoya muttered.

"These guys are sloppy with their work." Akito opened the door effortlessly.

They entered a dark messy hallway which had several boxes and chairs lying around.

"Hm? I think I can use this…" Akito noticed one of the boxes contained several mechanical parts and wires before bending over and checking each one of them.

"I don't think Tatemiya-san is around here. We should go up a floor to the middle so I can see all around the building – Eh? What are you doing Akito-kun?" Tomoya noticed the young boy disassemble the handgun which he showed earlier and modifying it using the tools inside a box.

"Can't you tell? I'm upgrading this baby." The young high school boy made a sinister smile.

"U-umm Takayama Akito-san, don't forget we're here to save our friend…" Tomoya nervously said.

"I know I know. It's just that we might encounter a situation where we have to fight back—"

Suddenly several explosions came from the front of the building they were in. The ground beneath them shook heavily.

"What the hell was that?" Akito sounding baffled.

"There's a person outside fighting the Skill-Outs! and… " Tomoya looked nervously to the direction of the fight.

"He has giant white wings sprouting from his back!"

"Wings? Are you kidding me?!" Akito couldn't see through the building unlike Tomoya who had Clairvoyance, an ability which allowed him to see through solid objects.

The explosions continued as they talked. The building shook heavily and dust floated from above their heads as the building continued to take damage from the fight.

"I think it's some sort of esper power! He's guarding himself from gunfire using his wings and he sends out shockwaves by swinging them around." Tomoya dictated his observation of the fight.

"Then this is our chance! Let's go while the Skill-Outs are preoccupied with that esper!"

They ran along the hallway before taking a turn towards the stairs. Massive explosions and gunfire continued outside. Immense shockwaves destroyed windows and parts of the walls and shook the ground.

"Hey! Can you see anything from here? We're in the middle of the building now aren't we?!" Akito turned to face Tomoya who was following him. The ground was still shaking and concrete dust occasionally dropped down on them. Tomoya looked upwards to survey the upper floors.

"U-umm I think I see some people on the third floor close to the middle, there's one that's laying down on the floor with long-hair. I think that's Tatemiya-san….! Akito-kun watch out!" Tomoya noticed a large portion of the floor falling above Akito.

"?!" Akito fell forwards abruptly after noticing Tomoya had pushed him out of the way of the falling concrete.

"Gyaaah!" Tomoya made a loud scream.

The mass of concrete fell down on top of Tomoya's back. Blood came out of Tomoya's mouth and chest, staining his high school uniform as he lay on the floor.

"ATSUCHI!" Akito instantly stood up and rushed to the boy who lay motionlessly on the floor. He removed the mass of concrete off of the boy before flipping him over gently "Oi! Are you alright?! Speak up!"

"..."

Akito knelt down beside Tomoya, trying to wake him up but there was no response.

"Oi! Wake up! Please!"

"..."

He lightly shook the boy's unmoving body but to no avail.

Despair showed on Akito's face. A strand of tear appeared in that boy's eye, but that will not change the fact that this esper who he hated was dead.

Suddenly more concrete fell around him being preceded by dust. A tremor shook the building and sounds of cement and rocks breaking apart echoed throughout the building. After a second, the entire second floor collapsed on top of both of them.

"Arghhh!" Akito screamed as the floor fell above him. He felt his ribs and innards crushed by the tremendous weight of the concrete several times bigger than him.

He was now sandwiched between large piles of rubble with blood dripping out of every corner of his entire body. Strength left him completely and he could not feel some of his limbs. Even in his mind, he was unsure if this was all real or just a nightmare. His weak gaze slowly shifted towards his fallen friend before losing consciousness. "So... rry….."

Their mission was a failure.

* * *

**END AN:**

**For those of you who think I am heartless for killing my own main characters, just so you know... I cried a bit.**

**So…. Yeah. Haruka joined SCHOOL, participated in the Battle Royale of dark side organizations and helped Kakine defeat Accelerator. No one was able to fight Archangel Gabriel and stop Bethlehem thus changing the whole timeline.**

**Just kidding.**

**Next chapter is about a timid girl and a young boy who is a magnet for misfortune.**

**EOF.**


	6. Deja Vu part 1

**Chapter 6 – Déjà_vu_pt.1**

* * *

Tsuyuri Aki sat on top of a bench on the roof of her school. She wore a navy blue sweater on top of her white blouse. A silver headband sat on top of her black shoulder-length hair, a portion of her bangs covered a bit of her face.

The sky was clear above the quiet and lonely roof. There were several flower beds at the edges of the roof, adding to the peaceful atmosphere.

Lunch break was almost over however her sandwich remained untouched on top of her lap.

She was all alone.

Her eyes were staring blankly at her phone which displayed news about a certain incident in District 10 where a building collapsed on top of two high school students. The news indicated that the cause for the collapse was due to a gunfight between Skill-Outs. Her homeroom teacher had already announced this news to the entire class, the news of the death of Atsuchi Tomoya and Takayama Akito.

Tomoya was a very cheerful friend and a dependable class representative. Takayama Akito was a delinquent that always had trouble fitting in class, but was still a dear friend to Tatemiya Haruka. If only Aki tried to approach Akito, then things may have changed for the better is what she thought.

_It's going to be alright._

_It's going to be alright._

_The parameters are set. I just have to avoid possible Checkpoints until tonight._

Her best friend was missing and her two friends were dead but she did not give up hope.

There was a way to undo this and she was aware of it.

_It's going to be alright._

_It's going to be alright._

Her innocent face made one of determination. She then packed her things and headed back to her classroom.

Aki remained quiet the entire day. She stayed inside the classroom when school had ended, waiting for the other students to leave first.

The young girl quietly walked towards her dormitory within District 7 under the orange sky. It was already near her curfew time.

Shortly after her arrival, she quickly took a shower, ate her dinner which was leftovers from yesterday, and quietly read one of her favorite novels while she waited for herself to fall asleep.

_It's going to be alright._

Tsuyuri Aki quietly waited for her powers to activate as she fell asleep.

The next thing she knew, it was already morning. She quickly reached for the digital clock beside her bed to stop its alarm. The clock also showed the current date.

It was October 5, the day Atsuchi Tomoya and Takayama Akito will die.

Her power known as Déjà vu activated.

_It worked!_

A relieved smile appeared on Aki's face as she accomplished the first step of her plan to save her friends.

* * *

Déjà vu was a Precognition-type ability which allowed Aki to pass her memories from her current self to her past self. The ability itself was very powerful however Aki does not have full control of it yet. According to scientists, it was always active however the ability was sensitive to interference from certain types of AIM diffusion fields. It will not activate as long as Aki makes contact with certain Espers she calls "Checkpoints", Espers who can disrupt her Déjà vu. So far, she has identified several Checkpoints including Tatemiya Haruka and Takayama Akito. Once she makes contact with them, her power will be inactive for a certain period of time or until Aki forcibly invokes it which she had small luck of succceeding. Once that time expires, her ability activates automatically during her sleep. She had previously used her ability 10 times.

Aki is currently at Level 3 however the extent of her power let's her pass her memories to a time period after she made contact with the last Checkpoint. The last Checkpoint in this case was Tatemiya Haruka.

She went to school that morning after preparing her things, copying the exact same movements her past self did to avoid changing the timeline.

She entered her classroom same as usual. Her classmates were as noisy as ever however her attention was focused on the boy with glasses sitting at the other end of the classroom near a window. He had black hair and was wearing a neat navy blue coat over his dress shirt with a red necktie. He was Atsuchi Tomoya, the class representative with the ability called Clairvoyance and the boy who will soon die along with Takayama Akito.

"Uhmm… Tomoya-kun have you seen Haruka-san around?"

Aki approached and asked Tomoya casually, trying to mimic what she previously did.

"Hm? No, I haven't seen her. Did you check her class?" Tomoya replied.

Aki felt an unpleasant sensation in her body. She was talking to her friend normally with the knowledge that he will die soon. She felt her stomach might give in but she tried to resist.

"Yes but she was nowhere to be found…" Aki muttered now sounding quite nervous.

Tomoya once again found it strange that Aki was searching for Haruka so early in the morning.

"You seem very close to Tatemiya-san, Aki-chan. Hm? What's wrong?" The class rep noticed Aki's nervousness.

Tomoya tilted his head wondering what was going on.

Aki continued the façade as much as possible or else the events might change unpredictably.

"No… it's nothing…" Aki walked to her seat which was second to the last row. She sat beside an empty seat that was next to the window.

Aki's plan was to go through the cycle of October 5th once in order to observe what actually occurred during the incident. Afterwards, she will go through the cycle again and figure out the most appropriate way to prevent that situation from happening and save her friends.

She knew that she must control her movements carefully in order to prevent the timeline from deviating inexplicably—

"G'MOOORNIING! AKI-SAAA~NN!"

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

From out of nowhere, a loud and cheerful voice called out her name. Aki jumped out of her seat in surprise.

A girl with short pale gold-like blonde hair and emerald green eyes appeared on Aki's right, whom was startled by the other girl's reaction from her greeting. Her skin was pale like a doll's.

"Ahh sorry Aki-san! My bad!" The girl with short blonde hair clasped her hands apologetically.

"U-uhh Good morning Meme-chan..." Aki wiped the tears from her eyes after being surprised suddenly.

"A-are you alright? Here I've got some chocolate with me."

The girl known as Mashiro Meme comforted Aki until she had calmed down before returning to her seat right next to Aki.

Aki was unable to remember exactly what her previous response here was but she was pretty sure it was similar so it will hopefully have no effect on the timeline.

Afterwards, their homeroom teacher Usui Shizuka arrived and began class.

* * *

Several hours later, class has ended and students began to leave for their dormitories.

"Hm? Aki-san you're not going home yet?" Meme asked the girl next to her as she packed her things.

"I'm just waiting for someone…" Aki lied.

In the previous cycle, she left quite early however in this cycle she will follow Tomoya without him noticing.

The girl watched Tomoya leave the classroom. She waited for a bit until only a few students were left in the classroom in order to avoid making contact with other Checkpoints then she followed behind him a fair distance down the stairs and to the school grounds.

She hid behind the trees, maintaining herself in Tomoya's blindspot as she followed him through the grounds towards the school gate when,

"Huh? Takayama-san? So you finally had a change of heart and decided to come to school~!" Tomoya stood in front of the school gate when he stumbled upon Akito who was out of breath. The bespectacled boy gave a triumphant pose as if he just accomplished his mission. "Though you missed class completely, I'll let you off the hook for now so just borrow my notes but please be punctual next time.."

"?!" Aki was surprised when she saw Akito. She then moved to a tree closer to the two boys in order to hear their conversation.

"Shut it, four-eyes. Have you seen that girl?" Akito was desperately trying to catch his breath.

"_That girl_? You mean Tatemiya-san? She was absent the whole day apparently. Aki-chan even went around the entire school looking for her." Tomoya rubbed his chin as he recalled.

"Akito-san was looking for Haruka-san? Could the building they were heading have some kind of connection with Haruka-san?" Aki muttered to herself.

"W-w-wait Takayama-san!" Tomoya grabbed Akito's arm before he could proceed any further. "Tatemiya-san is in trouble isn't she?"

"I don't have time to waste with you. Let go…"

Aki felt a cold sweat drop from the back of her neck. The situation was more complicated than she had previously thought.

"Yes! So do we have any leads, Takayama-san?" Tomoya asked Akito.

"Just call me 'Akito'. That boy with the Ghost ability said he was paid by a bunch of thugs, most likely Skill-Outs, so we might get some clue in District 10." Akito said explicitly.

"District 10…" Aki contemplated.

Aki then watched the two boys leave before following them from a distance.

"It's faster if we go to District 10 by bus." Tomoya suggested to Akito.

The two then reached a bus stop a fair distance away from their school.

Aki was slightly exhausted from the running. She could not go on the bus along with them or they will notice her so she hid behind a corner of the street away from the bus stop.

The bus Akito and Tomoya were on passed by Aki however they did not notice her.

Aki came out of the corner and waited for a taxi which came shortly.

"Umm… please follow that bus over there. It is heading towards District 10." Aki ordered the taxi driver.

"Y-yes ma'am," the taxi driver followed Aki's weird instruction.

The sun had almost set in Academy City.

The bus had arrived at a desolate part of District 10 where there were a few buildings and mostly comprised of vacant lots.

Aki stopped the taxi in the adjacent corner of the street some distance away from where the bus stopped and paid the driver. She then continued to monitor them while hiding from a distance when she saw Tomoya looking at the buildings thoroughly one by one.

"Oh no, Tomoya-kun is using his Clairvoyance!" Aki hurriedly moved farther away in order to not get in range of the boy's ability.

She tried to hide behind the boy's blind spot until the boy notice a truck pass by. Tomoya then talked to Akito about the truck to which then they got up and followed.

"... Why are they following that truck?" Aki began to follow the two boys despite their unusual behavior. She was already extremely tired from all the running however she persevered.

She then stopped after seeing the building she was closing in on. It was the building that mysteriously collapsed on top of the two boys.

"?!"

Aki felt the unpleasant sensation again. Cold sweat dropped all around her. She had to follow her plan of observing everything in order to come up with a solution during the next cycle which meant that she had to witness the building collapse on top of the two.

The building was surrounded by a steel fence. The distance from the building to the fence was about 10 meters except for the front which had a distance of about 40. The building was in between a vacant lot and a smaller building and in front of the building was a vertical road that connects with the road along the three.

The girl hid behind a post box on the street along the vertical road. She could see about 5 people in front of the building's main entrance, and moving her gaze to her left, she saw Akito and Tomoya climb the fence near the vacant lot and then run towards the building. She returned her gaze to the entrance. The people hanging about the entrance looked like they would have their pictures in Anti-Skill's wanted poster. In the first place, why were these people guarding the door to an abandoned building? But then she remembered the news about a handful of thugs getting heavy, military-grade weaponry from some unknown source. "Are they Skill-Outs?"

Suddenly a black car stopped in front of the small building besides the hideout for the thugs. It was far from where Aki was hiding but she could still see a young man with long blonde hair and a dark maroon suit come out of the passenger seat of the car.

The black car did not leave most likely waiting for the young man to finish his business.

"Is he also one of them? No, he doesn't look like a Skill-Out at all, and that car doesn't look like something a Skill-Out would use."

The young man leisurely walked towards the building Akito and Tomoya infiltrated.

He was not a Skill-Out nor was he a thug.

He was Kakine Teitoku, Academy City's Number Two Level 5 Dark Matter.

The young man wordlessly blew apart the steel gate in front of the building. However, he did not touch the gate at all, it just blew apart the instant he came near it.

"On second thought, this will hardly be enough practice for when I fight Number One…" The Level 5 Dark Matter smiled as he saw the group of Skill-Outs in front of the building.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing here?!" The man known as Jun noticed the esper's presence as soon as the gate got destroyed. He was one of the Skill-Outs that were near the main entrance.

Kakine Teitoku did not answer. He continued his casual walk towards the building full of armed Skill-Outs with a carefree expression.

"Oh, a smart ass ehh…" The Skill-Outs pulled out their handguns from their belts and aimed them at the esper, but Kakine did not flinch in the slightest.

Multiple gunshots rang out, but they did not hit Kakine Teitoku.

It seemed that some sort invisible barrier was protecting the Level 5.

"Why don't you scum try out bigger guns than those?" After watching the bullets fail in hitting him, the blonde haired esper laughed and let out a smile full of confidence.

The invisible barrier which surrounded the Level 5 gradually began taking shape. At first glance, it looked like white particles started forming around him. Those particles moved around until they gathered together into a single body and turned into some sort of white cocoon. That cocoon eventually took a different shape and spread into a pair of giant white wings.

Suddenly, after hearing the commotion, more people came out the main entrance carrying massive weaponry.

"Here, Jun-san!" A man named Mikoshiba handed out a machine gun to his friend before aiming his own rocket launcher at the esper.

"I think that's Academy City's Number Two! The higher ups of Academy City must have sent him to take us out!"

With great force, the Level 5 swung his gigantic wings towards the Skill-Outs and created violent wave rain down upon them. The shock wave blew the thugs away. Some were blown into the building and some slammed their bodies into the concrete walls. However their resilience proved to be more than expected, and they soon got up after a few seconds, bringing out their riot shields from the storage boxes scattered in the first floor in order to increase their defenses. But Kakine's devious grin only made itself more obvious.

The girl watched as the battle began. The building took damage with each passing second.

Fear slowly engulfed her.

She turned her eyes away from the violent and chaotic scene, as it was beyond her tiny heart could handle. Her weak legs and trembled and shook wildly before collapsing down as gunfire resounded in the area.

The ground shook heavily.

Suddenly, the building began its eminent collapse. And inside that building were two innocent students who she knew of.

_No! Please stop it!_

Her eyes were wide open as her tears dropped one after another.

The shock was too much for her.

She suddenly fell unconscious unto the street as the mental stress took its toll on her.

* * *

Aki reached out a hand towards her digital clock and gently pressed the square white button on its rectangular body. The loud digital alarm didn't let a single note further. It was October 5th again. Her Déjà vu activated without her knowing.

She stayed silent for a while as she looked up towards the white walls of her dorm room from her bed. Her movements didn't let a single sound as she uncovered her soft bedcover and put it aside. She stood and proceeded to do her daily routine like nothing happened.

It may have been because the memory transfer was incomplete or the shock blurred her memory, but she moved mechanically like a robot showing no emotion. But regardless, she knew what happened, and she could not turn away from it.

She entered school and continued her facade almost automatically.

_There is only one thing I can do. I have to stop Tomoya-kun and Akito-kun._

If she could stop Tomoya and Akito from going into the building she may be able to save them however….

What if Tatemiya Haruka was in that building?

What if that truck that Tomoya saw was carrying Tatemiya Haruka, her best friend?

That would explain why they chased that truck in the first place.

And Haruka's body was not discovered because she was inside the truck in the underground parking lot.

These ideas entered her mind suddenly.

She was now in the corner of a street a distance away from the bus stop.

Akito and Tomoya entered the bus, but whether or not she was concentrated on that fact was vague. Her eyes seemed distant and nothing was registering in her brain.

What was she going to do?

Save her two classmates in exchange for her best friend?

While her heart began to race as the thoughts poured inside her, the taxi she rode during the last cycle passed her by without her knowing it. Her trembling thoughts had seized complete control of her entire body and had made her drift away from reality and into an abyss of despair.

The burden was too much for her. The weight of three people's lives were too much for her. She did not expect that such a thing could happen and without a single solution. She could not possibly stop an all-out war that's immensely larger than her.

Tsuyuri Aki knelt down on the street and silently wept to the cruel fate of her friends when suddenly…

"Uwaaahh! Look out!"

A spiky haired boy wearing an orange shirt under his black high school uniform ran into her.

Due to the sudden force, Aki now lay on the ground while the spiky haired boy was on top of her.

Tears were still flowing through the girl's face.

Kamijou Touma who was now on top of a crying Tsuyuri Aki, froze as he realized the situation he was in. If a stranger were to see them, they would think that the boy pinned down the innocent girl. He would be labeled as a molester, a pervert, a disgrace and a scum of society, is what he thought.

"UWAAAAHH! I'M SORRY! I-It's not what it looks like! I did not intend for this situation to happen!" Kamijou Touma got up suddenly and made a proper bow seiza style.

However Aki was unfazed.

"I-It's fine…." She slowly sat up. Her eyes were still filled with tears.

"E-err Is something the matter miss?" Touma tilted his head in confusion.

"I'm powerless… I can't save my friends…" The young girl muttered to herself. She was a complete wreck.

"W-well let's stand up first, there's no point sitting here on the ground. Here…" Touma reached out a hand to Aki to help her stand up.

Aki quietly grabbed the hand and stood up.

"What should I do….they are going to die…." Aki said quietly trying to wipe her tears away.

"…..what happened?" Touma asked her seriously.

With a weak voice, Aki replied, "... I predicted the future with my ability but… I can't do anything about it! They're going to die!"

"…"

Touma thought about what the young girl had said.

He did not have a complete idea what the situation was or how difficult the problem was. The situation itself may be impossible, however there was something he can say for sure….

"But they're still your friends right? The fact that you have to try and save them doesn't change right?" Touma stated the facts to Aki.

"Are you just going to give up without doing anything?" The spiky haired boy's determined eyes looked straight unto hers and she returned the gaze with her own. His words poured strength into her own body.

He was right.

There may still be a way to turn things around.

Nothing good will come out if she didn't act. The young girl still had to try no matter how desperate the situation was.

She was well aware of all of this now.

"Yes, you're right! There may still be a way!" Aki wiped all her tears away and gathered her courage. Strength went back into her as if it never disappeared. She was still unsure what the future will hold for her but she still has to try. "I'm Tsuyuri Aki."

The girl made a gentle smile.

"Kamijou Touma. I'll help you so let's go save your friends!"

Without having a good grasp of the situation, and without needing a reason to help, Kamijou Touma entered the fray.

* * *

**END AN:**

**Bowing seiza style is the ultimate form of apology for Japanese.**

**Mashiro Meme's name is pronounced as Meh-meh not miim.**

**Reviews, criticisms, and messages are always appreciated!**

**EOF**


	7. Deja Vu part 2

**This marks the finale of the struggle. A single girl's fate lies in the hands of multiple conflicts. Enjoy!**

**Re-updated: 6/10/2015 - small**

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Déjà_vu_pt.2**

* * *

"…. so what you're saying is that your Precognition ability called Déjà vu lets you pass your memories to your past self? Is that some kind of time travelling ability?" Kamijou Touma furrowed his eyebrows after hearing the young girl's complicated explanation.

"Well…. I guess it's sort of like that." Tsuyuri Aki made a nervous smile.

Despite not knowing anything about the situation, the spiky-haired high school boy willingly involved himself in someone else's conflict.

"I feel bad for getting you involved in this, Touma-san... I'm such a hopeless person..."

"No! Not at all! You said you used your powers to find out what actually happened to your friends regardless how painful it was right? I think it takes a lot of courage to do something like that!" Kamijou Touma frantically tried to cheer the girl up.

Aki stared downcast at her feet. She had just used her ability named Deja vu to send her memories back in time in order to figure out a way to save her friends from a collapsing building caused by a fight between Skill-Outs and an unknown esper, but decided not to stop her two friends from saving her best friend.

It was dusk now in Academy City.

The taxi they were riding in passed by several apartment buildings and complexes while heading towards District 10. Students, teachers and salarymen were already retiring to their homes and getting ready for dinner.

"Anyway, about that esper you mentioned, he was fighting the Skill-Outs, right? Maybe we can negotiate with him in order to prevent the building from getting destroyed?"

"Really? Do you think so Touma-san?" Aki's eyes filled with conviction despite being partially covered by her long bangs.

"If not then I'll at least try to delay him as much as I can so your friends can look for umm... Tatemiya Haruka-san was it?"

"Then I'll help you negotiate with that esper, Touma-san!"

"Ehh? But it might get dangerous if that esper turns on us."

That esper the two were talking about was Kakine Teitoku, the second in rank among all the Level 5's in Academy City. His ability lets him create and manipulate matter that does not exist in this world. He was also involved in Academy City's dark side as part of a secret organization known as SCHOOL however both Kamijou Touma and Tsuyuri Aki were unaware of all these facts.

"I will help! I will not just sit idly in the sidelines! Even if it was just a little bit, I got to see one of that esper's abilities." Aki declared with great determination.

"Th-Then what can that esper do? Hearing it from you, he sounds really strong to be able to hold his own against a group of people equipped large weapons."

"Well... a pair of wings came out of his back and uhmm... he blew people away with them.. something like that..." The girl smiled sheepishly showing how she did not understand the power herself.

"Hahh? Is that really some kind of esper power?" Touma scratched his head trying to figure out how a person could grow wings.

"Is it somehow related to Magic? Maybe it's some kind of spell that utilizes myths about Angels." Touma muttered under his breath.

"Shouldn't you be helping your friends in that building though?"

"Well Tomoya-kun's Clairvoyance is already enough for searching through the entire building and for avoiding people so I doubt I could be of any help there..."

The landscaped changed as the taxi arrived at District 10. There were fewer buildings, and even less people around than District 7. There were no cleaning robots that were always busy roaming around and cleaning the streets.

Aki stopped the taxi near the small building where the blonde haired esper will arrive in front of.

"I think we should hide here and wait for that car to arrive, Touma-san." Aki pointed at the small building's entrance.

The door to the small building creaked as the two high school students opened it. The interior was dark and a lot of dusts covered the floors and furniture. The first floor of the building had a typical structure of a diner. There was a dust covered counter near the entrance and several circular tables surrounded by four chairs scattered across middle of the floor. Another door was in the farthest corner of the diner which opens up to an alley on the other side of the street.

There were lots of abandoned buildings in this area of District 10 so it was a perfect place to hide anything suspicious from the authorities. It was one of the blind spots in Academy City where Anti-Skill's jurisdiction was thinned out because of its workforce's distribution was more focused on guarding key parts of the city, disaster mitigation and response.

"Kyaaaaa!"

A girly scream echoed within the diner.

"What's wro- Owwww!"

Aki tremblingly pointed at an incredibly small spider on top of a table a few inches away from her as she pinched the upper part of the misfortunate Kamijou Touma's sleeve, along with his bicep.

Noticing the spider, the boy squinted his eyes at it before shooing it away.

Aki had a big fear of insects especially really small ones. The smaller they were the more incredible and painful Aki's reactions were.

The two moved close to a window that showed the street in front of the diner in order to keep an eye out for the car.

Meanwhile, a few blocks from where they were hiding,

"Your lagging behind, four-eyes!" Takayama Akito peered over at the older high school boy behind him who was dropping quite a bit of sweat.

"I'll catch up so don't slow down for me..." Tomoya panted as he tried to keep up with his younger classmate.

The delivery truck they were following was carrying parts for the assembly of weapons mixed with toys as a camouflage. Also, the truck might lead to the location of their friend, Tatemiya Haruka who they suspected was kidnapped by a special group of Skill-Outs known as REBEL.

"Come to think of it, Akito-kun... How did you find out that we might find clues here in District 10? You said the people who messed with you were paid by thugs but how were they connected to District 10?" The glasses wearing boy asked the delinquent in front of him.

"To be honest, I just picked this area because it was the closest."

Tomoya almost stumbled after hearing that unexpected revelation but Akito continued.

"But if you consider all the news regarding the raids against the Skill-Outs and plot them out in a map, you will see that almost every area of Academy City has been involved apart from District 10 and maybe 3 other districts, excluding of course ones which have a dense number of Anti-Skill or Judgment stations."

Tomoya thought for a bit before finally understanding Akito's train of thought.

"You really are something else Akito-kun! I still wonder why you are stuck as a Level 0."

"Can we stop talking about that Level crap already?" The blonde haired delinquent's mood turned sour at the mention of his predicament.

"Anyway, that truck has entered that gate towards that building over there. Let's head towards that vacant lot over next to the fence so you can use your Clairvoyance." Akito pointed out the area around the bush beside a fence.

The two boys proceeded with their plan.

"I think it's almost time, Touma-san. Any minute now..."

Inside the abandoned diner, the two strengthened their focus as they peered through the window.

A sound of an engine can be heard from the distance.

A minute later, the black car which Aki saw in the previous cycle of her Deja vu experience arrived in the exact same spot and in the exact same time as before. A young man with long blonde hair and wearing a dark maroon suit came out of the black car's passenger seat.

Touma and Aki came out of the diner as soon as they saw the young man.

"U-umm are you here perhaps to take down the Skill-Outs in this area? Can you please wait a little bit until our friends come out?" Aki pleaded to the boy with her soft and gentle voice.

The young man looked at the two slightly confused for a second before giving a sharp glare.

"You two... You're not related to _this side, _aren't you? Who are you?"

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Kakine Teitoku, one of the strongest espers in Academy City, the Number Two Level 5, swung his right arm diagonally upwards. An invisible force from the young man's right side grinded along the diner's walls towards the two, breaking the windows and the ground along its path.

Touma gritted his teeth as he pushed Aki down before falling himself. The force brushed over their heads before disappearing.

"Hoh~ You have nice reactions." Kakine gave a delighted smile full of arrogance. He cracked his knuckles before continuing his attack.

Touma and Aki instantly got up and rushed towards the diner to their left, avoiding a sudden impact from some unknown force which hit the ground where they were previously on.

"Looks like negotiations won't work!" Touma looked behind him as he ran towards the exit at the opposite side of the building.

The Level 5 scowled, looking rather pissed now as he walked inside the dust covered abandoned diner after the two.

"Then we must keep him busy until Tomoya-kun and Akito-kun make it out of the building!"

Suddenly, tiny particles like white sand floated above the young man before gathering and compressing together to form a gigantic pair of white angelic wings which spread out and destroyed part of the ground and upper floor of the diner along with its walls. The wings spanned with great length, even outdoing the size of the building it had just crushed.

"No! I'll hold him off over here. You monitor your friends' situations!"

Small piles of hard concrete fell around them as they opened the door to the back alley.

"B-but!"

"I can handle myself!" After escaping from the collapsing diner, Touma shouted as he stood now on the back alley. "Just get your friends out of there as soon as possible!" He turned around towards the tall figure standing in the middle of the small building which was now reduced to almost nothing thanks to the destructive power of the Dark Matter wings.

Dust clouds floated above them, rising towards the night sky.

Aki grimaced at the thought of abandoning someone, but reluctantly shook it off in the end. She was aware that she could not dodge that esper's attacks unlike Touma. If she stayed there, he would have to look out for her, but if she were to leave him alone against that mysterious esper, at least he would be able focus on protecting himself from those attacks.

"Then I'll contact you as soon as we get out of the building!" The young girl headed towards the back of the Skill-Out hideout.

Noticing this, Kakine Teitoku turned his attention towards the girl on his left side, who was now fleeing from the area. "Who said you can leave?!" The wing on his left side changed shape, elongating into a spear and shot forward straight towards the girl. The distance it covered increased at an absurd amount of speed.

The girl was unaware that a long, deadly spear shot forward, ripping through the air as it plunged straight towards her, directed towards the back of her small, fragile head, and will likely skewer it with ease just like a pig skewered with a metal steak when, suddenly, the spiky-haired boy got in the middle of them, bringing out his right hand towards the white spear made of Dark Matter just in time.

With a loud crash, the spear gradually disappeared as soon as it made contact with Touma's right hand, despite its large scale and destructive force.

This was the power residing within the boy's right arm, Imagine Breaker, the power which negates any supernatural ability.

Wasting no time, Touma charged forward unhesitatingly.

Kakine furrowed his brow, confused of what just happened. Despite the unexpected phenomenon he had not anticipated, he made another large pair of Dark Matter wings sprout behind him and charged forward. The wings changed shape again into a pair of scythes which fell down side-by-side on the spiky haired boy.

As the pair of scythes dropped down on him like a guillotine, bringing down death and despair, the boy moved his right hand to the left and swept it across the pair of blades as they swung down above him.

The blades made out of Dark Matter consecutively disintegrated yet again.

"?!"

The Level 5 Dark Matter made a disgruntled expression after seeing his attack get nullified again. Truly, what just happened? He asked himself. He went into deep thought as he evaluated all these odd occurrences with his Dark Matter and that boy. His attacks somehow did not work every time it made contact with that boy's right hand. But, he wasn't sure if it's just that boy's right hand, or his entire body, that could interfere with his ability. Ideally, an ability that could interfere with his Dark Matter shouldn't exist. The reason for this was that his power was outside the realm of physics. The matter he creates does not exist in this world, and therefore, there shouldn't be anything that exists that could nullify it, much less counteract it.

He took a step forward, eyeing that spiky haired boy in front of him. This should not be his downfall. This unknown boy should not be a problem to him. The only one who should be able to stand with him side-by-side was _that monster. _That monster known as Academy City's strongest, Accelerator. His venomous eyes met with this unknown boy. This nuisance has gone far enough, he decided. It was time for this little speck of dust to disappear from his sight. Not letting himself falter from all these questions and doubts anymore, he made another pair large of wings sprout from his back.

This time, one of the wings turned into a blade which then slashed the air horizontally towards Touma's body.

The Level 0 jumped backwards abruptly, evading the tip of the blade by a hair's breadth, however, another wing transformed into a a spear which shot downwards from above his head. In reaction to this, he brought out his right hand again to block. The spear gradually turned into white sand and dissipated.

"That's some interesting power you got." Kakine smiled a bit before continuing, still not completely understanding the phenomenon behind destruction of his Dark Matter. He raised his large white wings which looked like it could envelope the entire night sky of Academy City and swiftly swung it downwards with great speed. The destructive force hit the ground, causing it to erupt and sending rocks and concrete of different sizes flying towards the Level 0.

"But you can't block against indirect attacks can you?"

Gritting his teeth, Touma moved sideways, trying to evade as best as he could however a few rocks gashed through his school uniform. A stinging sensation ran across his skin.

_His attack range is too big!_

* * *

"I don't think Tatemiya-san is around here. We should go up a floor to the middle so I can see all around this building– Eh? What are you doing?" Tomoya noticed the young boy disassemble the handgun which he showed earlier, and modifying it using the tools inside a cardboard box.

"Can't you tell? I'm upgrading this baby~" the younger, and more juvenile, high school boy made a sinister smile as he continued his work.

The two boys were in a dark, messy hallway inside the building that was being occupied by REBEL. The walls were painted with white and grey paint, however, there were random black smudges here and there, as well as dirt all over the walls. Boxes, chairs and broken glass scattered across the floor. The rooms around them had transparent glass panels where one can see the interior of the room. The building was most likely used for manufacturing computer parts before being left its company.

"U-umm Takayama Akito-san, don't forget we're here to save our friend!" Tomoya smiled wryly.

"I know, I know. It's just that, we might encounter a situation where we have to fight back." Akito continued to tinker with the gun. "I'll be quick so you can go on ahead if you want."

"No! We are in a hideout full of Skill-Outs! Someone might come here any second!"

Suddenly, Tomoya's cellphone vibrated inside his right pocket. He reached for it after a second and checked the caller's ID.

He brought the brough the phone to his ear amd answered, "Aki-chan? What's wrong?" Tomoya noticed the girl's raspy voice.

"..."

Akito glanced over to his classmate, who was talking over the phone. The latter grew nervous after hearing each word from the phone.

With a desperate expression, Tomoya turned towards the delinquent before returning his phone to his pocket. "This is bad, Aki-chan and her friend are trying to delay a powerful esper who will be coming here to fight with the Skill-Outs. She says that the aftermath will cause this building to collapse!"

"Huh? How does she know that?" Puzzled over what the glasses-wearing boy had said, the Level 0 raised a brow in confusion.

"She has an ability called Deja vu which lets her predict the future in some way like Precognition." Tomoya who was a classmate and a close friend of Aki knew of her power for a long time.

"Then we really should hurry!" Akito placed the gun in his pocket.

"The stairs are further along this hallway, close to the center of this building." Tomoya pointed ahead of them.

The two ran through the empty hallway before turning to their left towards a wooden staircase which lead to the second floor.

"The people guarding the front entrance seems to be heading towards a certain direction." Tomoya took a brief look at the direction of the front entrance with his Clairvoyance ability.

"Maybe they noticed the esper that girl talked about."

After reaching the second floor, they noticed that the stairs which lead to the third floor had been cut off so they had to find another way.

Noticing this, Akito looked at Tomoya and asked, "Can you use your ability again to scout around the building?"

"Wait! there's someone approaching us from around that corner." Tomoya brought out a hand to stop his friend and pointed at the corner to their left which lead to another hallway.

Akito thought for a bit before,

"Then can you hold this for a while." Akito took off his uniform's navy blue blazer and handed it to the other boy, leaving him with his white hoodie.

"What are you going to do?"

"Just watch." Akito put on his hood before approaching the man beyond the corner.

"OI! What are you still doing here?! The guys at the front are having trouble fighting an esper. Go help them!' Akito appeared in front of the Skill-Out suddenly. His hood partially hid his face in the dark hallway.

The man was startled for a second before getting caught up in Akito's pace.

"Eh? We've been discovered?!" The man hurriedly passed through the poorly disguised boy before the latter pulled out his phone and struck the back of the man's neck using it.

"Ughh!' The man suddenly fell unconscious.

"Here." Akito tossed over a green beanie which he took off from the man to Tomoya. The latter caught it mid-air to his surprise.

"It'd be bad if these guys find out anything about us so we should take off our uniforms." Akito retrieved his coat and put it in his bag.

The class representative agreed that if suspicious people were able to find out their identities, it would complicates things in the near future.

"This hat smells kind of odd...nghh." Tomoya reluctantly put on the beanie and took off his uniform's coat as well. After doing so, he looked around the building again with his Clairvoyance. "I see some people on the first floor in some of the rooms... there's no one here in the immediate vicinity and... I think I see Tatemiya-san and someone else a few meters above us."

Akito hid the unconscious body of the Skill-Out inside the nearest room before following Tomoya.

"Hello, Aki-chan? Yes. We found Tatemiya-san so please wait for us and stay where you are." Tomoya briefly called his classmate.

The two headed for the stairs near the end of the hallway to the right.

* * *

Kamijou Touma was facing against one of Academy City's strongest espers, the Number 2 Level 5 Kakine Teitoku. The latter now had three pairs of arching wings sprouting from his back as he floated a few dozens of meters from the ground.

"Are you part of the Magic-side?! Why are you here in Academy City?" Kamijou Touma shouted, sounding unsure of the other's allegiance. There was a completely different world outside of Academy City, and he was one of the few in Academy City who knew its existence. But because of this, he also knew that that other world must not interfere with the world of science.

However, in response to this, Kakine Teitoku only looked at the Level 0 as if he were saying something in an unfamiliar language. "What nonsense are you spouting? Can't you see an esper power when it's right in front you?' The Level 5 spat out, mocking the boy's cluelessness. "Well, I don't blame you since my Dark Matter is special. With it, I'm practically a god."

_So it really was an esper power? Then I don't have to worry about some secret spell triggering when he uses his wings. Alright, this will simplify things, and I won't have to rely on Index's knowledge!_

Before the spiky haired boy could think of anything else, he saw Kakine's large wings made of Dark Matter blew a gust of wind towards him.

Touma ran towards the side to avoid the attack, however, the remains of the small building took the brunt of it all in his place. A loud crash could be heard, and the small debris flew upwards and hit Touma, but he was able to evade most of them just in time. He put his hand over his mouth in order to prevent himself from breathing in the dust.

_This is bad. I can't reach him when he is flying so high up._

They were in the area a few distance away from the building Akito and Tomoya were in, while the small building he had previously been in turned into ruins thanks to the fearsome power of Dark Matter. If that destructive power were to reach them, it would be game over.

But suddenly, multiple gun shots rang out from the other side of the battlefield. The bullets hit the Level 5, however, he was unfazed. The six wings protected his entire backside.

"Tsk... how annoying."

Touma saw a group of men from across the ruins of the diner. From the way their clothes looked, they were most likely delinquents. And from the way they were carrying those deadly handguns and assault rifles, they were no regular delinquents but Skill-Outs.

"Is that some kind of monster?"

"Whatever it is, it's going to be a threat. Kill it!"

The REBEL members released a barrage of bullets on Kakine who was flying several meters above using his wings made of Dark Matter. The esper guarded himself from the barrage, waiting for their ammo to be depleted.

Kamijou Touma hid behind a partition of a wall a distance away, trying to avoid getting hit by a stray bullet. His only mission was to delay Kakine Teitoku from wrecking the Skill-out building until Tsuyuri Aki's friends finish their mission.

He quickly dialed Aki's number on his phone to confirm their situation but suddenly got interrupted by a large explosion coming from above where the flying esper was.

The Skill-Outs brought out their rocket launchers and aimed them at the Level 5. The latter continued to shield himself and threw quick strikes with his wings at them whenever he got the chance.

There was nothing Touma could do anymore in this situation. His Imagine Breaker was only useful against supernatural abilities like psychic powers or magic, not ordinary weapons.

The fight escalated to the point where he will get killed instantly if he tries to get in between them.

All the boy could do now was to wait and hope that Aki's friends make it out of the building before the fight reaches them.

* * *

"Akito-kun, here's someone up ahead where Tatemiya-san is." Tomoya pointed at the room up ahead across the hallway of the third floor while using his Clairvoyance. The door was open and a light leaked out of the room.

"Does he have any weapons?"

"I think he only has one handgun with him. He was the person with you during that night when I returned you your notebook. The lanky one with short black hair with an intimidating smile..." Tomoya recalled the night when he bumped into the two seniors.

"So they really were up to something... I just didn't realize that it would be something like this..." Akito recalled the two boys he hung out with. Although he had fun just following them around, he always felt that there was a secret that they were hiding.

Shin especially was mysterious, never showing any vulnerabilities or anything about himself. He was the first to approach Akito when he had just begun losing interest in school and Academy City.

"I'll take care of that guy. You get the girl out of here."

"Are you sure?"

"We have no other choice but this..." Right after saying that, Akito quickly entered the room and pointed his handgun, which had more black-colored parts than white, at the familiar young man with orange cat-like eyes sitting on the office chair across the room.

"Yo~ you sure took you're time. Did you enjoy that little excursion in District 15?" With a cheerful grin, Shin turned his chair towards the young boy whom was pointing a gun at him.

Akito scowled at the man's easygoing voice.

"You really piss me off the most."

"Oyah? Is that any way to talk to your senpai, my beloved kouhai?" Shin made a sly grin as he stood up from his black office chair before pointing his gun that was completely made up of white parts at the hooded young boy with blonde hair. He wasn't wearing a high school uniform, instead he was wearing a black jacket on top of a red shirt. A chain hang from his belt to the inside of his pocket.

The room they were in had several desks and chairs lined up like a meeting room. A single light bulb was turned on at the center of the room.

"Take the girl and leave!"

As soon as he said that, Atuschi Tomoya, who was behind him at the time, hurriedly ran towards the girl laying on the floor on the right side of the room.

Shin's eyes followed the boy wearing glasses but as soon as he did, Akito pulled the trigger of his gun, exploiting the brief moment of unawareness of his opponent.

A dull sound rang out however the bullet did not hit Shin, but the wall behind him.

Shin had leaned forward, completely avoiding the bullet before rushing towards Akito with incredible speed.

Akito was startled as soon as Shin got in front of him. The speed was almost inhuman. He stumbled backwards after losing his footing, but thanks to that, he avoided Shin's uppercut but a blow eventually hit his right hand. The impact disarmed the gun in his hand and landed a few meters away. He had modified that gun to shoot non-lethal bullets using his knowledge in machinery, but all that was pointless now.

"Oi, oi, is this all you can do? How disappointing. And that bullet just now wasn't even a real, it was just a rubber one. Did the thought of firing a gun at a human being frighten you?" Wagging his finger at the boy, who was now collapsed on the floor after stumbling backwards, in a mocking fashion, Shin stood with little damage after that short exchange.

The situation had gone dire all of a sudden.

This was Akito's first time in a serious fight. He was not one to participate in the front lines, and instead, used his brain to resolve the situation. He had been involved in small street fights in the past, but he was not always alone in those fights thanks to his two seniors, and those he always fought were a far cry compared to the opponent he was facing now. The young man with a sly grin whom was standing right in front of him clearly had experience in these sort of battles, not to mention he was drastically taller and had a longer reach than himself. The boy could not fathom how many battles he had fought in order to be so good in fist fights. No mere delinquent could be this good.

"Shut the hell up you bastard."

Before his opponent could react, Akito quickly charged forward, throwing a punch towards Shin's upper body.

"Urghh!"

The young man stumbled backwards a bit but regained his composure instantly.

While all that was going on, Tomoya checked up on Tatemiya Haruka who was unconscious on the floor. Both her hands and legs were tied up.

_She's still breathing. Perhaps a sleeping drug?_

He brought her up and hurriedly carried her over to the other door of the room. He took a glance at Akito but,

"Just go already!" Akito shouted without turning to look at his classmate.

Tomoya then got out of the room, taking the unconscious girl with him.

"How admirable of you, playing the role of the noble hero. What made you so friendly with espers so suddenly?" Shin let out a sly grin as he enjoyed watching the situation in front of him.

"Pfft! Don't get me wrong. Espers are still annoying as hell but people like you who just kidnap innocent people are on a whole different level of annoyance." Akito stood on guard. He pulled out his widescreen phone, theorizing that it will increase the strength of his punch.

Shin rushed forward with great speed. His right fist aimed towards the young boy's head.

Akito evaded the attack by a hair's breadth before Shin pulled out his left fist. The blonde haired boy used his phone to block. The phone broke in half at the fierce impact of the punch. His long time partner was now broken, however, if he had taken that blow directly, it would have definitely caused severe damage to his body is what Akito thought however,

Shin twisted his body and landed a kick to Akito's side.

"Gahhh!" The impact knocked the air out of the young boy. A punch soon followed that hit him in the face. The young boy got sent flying backwards. His back hit the wall with a disturbing sound. Finally losing strength, he collapsed on the floor.

"Sigh.. I don't get you people. Even those from the dark side have something they want to protect. Don't they realize how fun they're situation is? The excitement of the world hidden in the shadows? No laws or any of those disgusting errants." Shin let out a grin full of contempt as he look down on Akito. "To tell you the truth, I was asked by the higher ups to infiltrate REBEL in order to find out who their foreign investor was but I found out that they were just plain fools who know nothing but fighting so I suggested all these weird stuff to keep things interesting."

The difference in their power was clear.

Akito had no way of winning this fight. He had already noticed that one trivial fact in this situation, that Shin had never once used his gun in the fight. The gun that he slipped into his own pocket in the beginning.

He was toying with him.

The power gap between them was big.

There were no other options left for for the young boy.

"So what?" He spat out some blood as he sat on the floor. "Those two already got out. I have already accomplished what I had came here to do."

Hearing those words which were like annoying noise to him, Shin finally pointed his gun down towards the boy, feeling disgusted by his achievement.

"Don't give me that boring crap. Stop playing the hero and say that you just came here because you felt hatred, that you were pissed and came to get revenge. Say that all these 'friend' stuff are just a load of bull. You're no hero. You're just a tiny bug, a worthless corckroach." A wicked smile grew across the man's face. In a smooth and almost singing voice he said, "You're no different from any of us. Haven't you also hurt other people, or specifically, espers because of your hatred?"

"I-I... so what?!" The boy grimaced. He could not deny it. He did in fact, attacked espers out of hate.

"'People like you who just kidnap innocent people are on a whole different level of annoyance'? How exactly are _you _any different? Do you think you're newly found friends will accept you like that?".

"SHUT UP!" Takayama shouted with his voice at its highest peak.

Suddenly, Shin felt an unpleasant sensation all around his body, like being exposed to a scorching heat in the middle of the dessert.

But the sensation only lasted for a few seconds.

"Pheww... was that the Flare Cloak just now? Is she still around here?" Shin pointed the gun at the nearest door.

The boy tilted his head slightly in confusion.

No one came out. There was only silence.

"Must've been my imagination." Shin shrugged, showing a carefree smile again. "Now then, things got boring so let's make it a little bit more exciting."

The young man pointed his gun towards the boy's leg but...

"Shin! This is bad! An esper with monster-like powers is attacking us!" A man wearing a green bandana over his mouth appeared suddenly from the door near them.

"Oyah? This _is _bad. Guess this is where we'll part ways." In a swift motion, the barrel of the gun Shin was holding pointed upwards from the boy to the REBEL member.

"?"

Without any hesitation, the gun let out a sudden burst. A loud sound echoed within the room.

*Thud*

The man dropped dead on the floor. His face maintaining that confused expression he had, unaware of his own sudden death.

"Another organization from the dark side must've finally decided to do a sweep. I've already made contact with a proxy of the foreign investor during the negotiations thanks to that girl so I don't need REBEL anymore."

The young man said that before firing a quick shot at the boy's leg.

"Gaaaahhh!" Akito yelled in pain.

"Be sure not to follow me." Shin casually walked out of the room. His job here was done so he left in order to not get wrapped up in the battle between the esper attacking the Skill-Outs.

REBEL will now soon be eliminated completely from the to-do list of Academy's dark side.

The boy now sat upright against the wall amidst the silence.

The area of the floor around his leg was soaked in his crimson red blood.

What was he going to do now?

His two friends must have been safely out of the building by now, however, what about him?

The esper whom was said to destroy this building might come any second so he had to escape as fast as he can but he could barely move. The feeling in his leg was now disappearing. There were also bruises all around his body.

"..."

Now, several minutes have already past. When the esper arrives, there will be nothing left of the building, including him. However, for him, there was no more need to worry for he has already accomplished his mission.

Realizing that there was no hope, he remained where he was and patiently waited for the inevitable demise of the building.

But suddenly, a voice called out to him.

"Takayama-san!" A girl with short black hair stood by the door, seemingly exhausted.

The boy woke up from his trance and slowly shifted his gaze towards the girl. "... Are you Tsuyuri Aki-san? Why are you here? This building could get attacked any minute now."

Aki rushed towards him and spoke with great conviction in her words despite her exhaustion."I can't just abandon my friends so hurry up and grab my hand." She reached out a hand towards the wounded boy.

"..."

With a bit of hesitation, he slowly took the hand and tried to stand up but lost his balance eventually. He stumbled sideways towards the girl before wrapping his arm around the girl's shoulder to support himself.

"T-T-T-T-T-Takayama-san?!" The girl blushed furiously at the sudden body contact.

"Sorry... Please endure my burden for now..."

"I-It's fine! Now let's get out of here."

The two moved down, passing by each floor of the building in a slow pace before reuniting with their friends outside the door which Akito and Tomoya originally entered in.

"Are you alright Akito-kun?! We should get you to a hospital as soon as possible!" Tomoya stood beside an unconscious Haruka. The long pony-tailed girl was fixed up in a sitting position with her back against the fence.

"There's a broken gate at the back of the building- Ah! There's Touma-san now!" Aki pointed towards her friend who was approaching them from the open gate.

"Are you guys alright? The Skill-Outs are still fighting that esper." Kamijou Touma looked around before noticing Akito's injury. "Woahh! We should get that wrapped up immediately!"

Touma gestured for Aki to let him support the young boy.

"Don't worry. I know a good doctor in District 7." Touma put the young boy's arm around his shoulder followed by Aki wrapping Akito's wound with her handkerchief.

"Sorry... and thank you..."

Aki let out a gentle smile as she heard words which were completely different from what the boy would usually say.

Before Akito knew it, people had slowly gathered around him, people who were completely different than those who he hanged around with in the past. He was surrounded by warmth for the first time.

_Perhaps this place isn't too bad after all._

* * *

**END AN:**

**I appreciate any and all forms of feedback!**

**If you guys still have problems imagining what Akito looks like then imagine Yukine from Noragami but a bit taller.**

**Tomoya would look like Yukio from Blue Exorcist.**

**And Haruka would most likely look like a younger Kanzaki.**

**Not sure about Aki though so just leave it to your imagination :P**

**EOF**


	8. Real Friends

**Chapter 8 - Real_friends.**

* * *

"... and there's this rumour, which started circulating around the net recently about a really weird device that reverts people back to Level 0 like the opposite of the Level Upper- Oh! Speaking of machines, there's also one rumour about a group of scientists trying to develop a robot which will be capable of emulating human behaviour to the point that it can even develop a Personal Reality on its own!" A girl named Saten Ruiko, a regular middle school student at Sakugawa Middle School, excitedly enumerated all the interesting rumors she had collected to her two friends sitting on the couch across the coffee table in front of her. Her eyes sparkled with extreme enthusiasm. She had long black hair and was wearing a sailor uniform."Maya-san really pulled out all the stops when I asked her for more rumours!"

"Ehh~ That robot seems pretty amazing, though it's just a rumour. But that device that reverts people's levels, I wonder why would someone build something like that?" A girl with short brown hair and wearing a winter uniform meant to be worn by students of the prestigious Tokiwadai Middle School pondered as she took a sip of her tea.

She was Misaka Mikoto, Tokiwadai's Ace and one of the seven Level 5's of Academy City, more specifically, she was the 3rd in rank among the strongest espers in Academy City.

She was also known by her nickname, Railgun, the name of her ability and her powerful signature attack.

She showed interest in the topic of conversation unlike the young girl beside her.

"Please don't be fooled by such distasteful urban legends, onee-sama. No one in their right mind would go to such lengths to build such a pointless device." Shirai Kuroko said with a bored tone while reading several documents in her hand. "Besides, who would make a device that will only make themselves weaker?"

"Sigh... you have no sense of romance as always, Shirai-san~"

"Of course. I only ever think rationally. We are in Academy City after all. Researchers are only interested in progressing our abilities, not the other way around."

They were all currently in Judgment's 177th branch office, having lunch and discussing random topics.

Shirai tossed the documents to the table and made a displeased expression, not towards the alleged rumour but towards the contents of the documents she had just read.

"Honestly! those Skill-Outs have been a real annoyance lately, even kidnapping one of our fellow Judgment members for unknown reasons! At the very least, Tatemiya-san is fine now."

"Come to think of it, there were a lot of news about the Skill-Outs recently."

"Is that why Uiharu-san is so busy lately?" Misaka peered over to the girl working in front of several computer monitors. Countless programs were displayed in the screens, showing texts which cannot be understood by people who are uneducated in the line of computer programming and security.

"Yes. There was a recent breach in The Thorn's surveillance network so they were directed to us to figure out the cause of the incident. Mysteriously, there were two men found on The Thorn's top platform during the discovery of the incident however there were no recorded footage showing what actually happened." Shirai retrieved her own cup of tea from the table before taking a small sip from it. "We suspected that it may be the Skill-Outs' doing."

"Uwahh! I just got an email from Nunotaba-san!" The young girl with flowers sprouting from her head, Uiharu Kazari, leapt up from her chair.

"Ehhhh?!"

"Wh-what does it say?"

"Does it say anything about Frebri and Janie's condition?"

The three girls got up from where they were sitting and rushed over towards Uiharu.

A small window popped up in one computer screens showing an email from Nunotaba Shinobu.

"U-umm... it says here that there was great progress in their readjustments and they'll soon be in perfect condition. And... ehhh?!" Uiharu was about to read the remaining part of the email before being cut off my Saten.

"She's returning to Academy City!" Saten exclaimed with great excitement.

"Is she bringing Febri and Janie with her?!"

"Sadly no, she will only be here for only a few days to retrieve some data she had left so Febri and Janie will remain in the overseas facility, which they are currently staying in." Uiharu read through the rest of the message.

"Ohh... then I guess she'll be too busy to hang out with us. Such a shame, I really wanted to go shopping with her some time..." Misaka remembered how disappointing it was that Nunotaba Shinobu had to leave Academy City in order to treat the Chemicaloids, Febri and Janie, just as they had became friends.

In that instant, a dark aura loomed over her. An aura of jealousy.

"O-o-onee-sama! If you just wanted to go shopping, then I am already enough to satisfy your needs! Your dear herald, Shirai Kuroko, will do anything for you!" Suddenly, Shirai Kuroko latched onto her Onee-sama's body from behind.

Uiharu and Saten made an awkward smile after seeing the usual act of the two Tokiwadai students.

"Kuroko! Don't we already shop together?!" Misaka tried to shake off her twin-tailed kouhai.

Kuroko's body swung from side to side, following the erratic movement coming from the brown-haired girl. Her hands crept up slowly on Misaka's uniform, reaching the middle schooler's chest area. Her lecherous personality showed itself.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Suddenly, a big burst of electricity came out from the Level 5's body.

The powerful shock electrocuted Shirai Kuroko, leaving her laying down on the floor seemingly fried to a crisp.

* * *

"Hisako-san got really mad at me earlier for coming to the office even though I'm already fit enough to work." Tatemiya Haruka took a sip from her glass of pineapple juice. A large white bandage can be seen underneath her bangs. "I'm so sorry for calling you guys all of a sudden after rejecting your offer to hang out."

A brown paper bag carrying a brand new phone lay on top of the table beside her.

"Oh it's alright. It's not like we have anything else to do today anyway." Saki, the girl sitting across Haruka, took a bite from her expensive looking vanilla short cake.

"You really shouldn't push yourself, Haruka-san." Aki, who was seating beside Saki, drank the last bit of her ice tea. The girl had previously undergone extreme mental stress caused by the usage of her power called Deja vu in order to save her friend along with Atsuchi Tomoya and Takayama Akito. Her peaceful life had been reclaimed so she had no more reason to use her powers.

The three high school girls were currently in a family restaurant somewhere around the seventh school district.

They were part of the few high-leveled espers students in their school, being either Level 3 or 4. Haruka was currently the only Level 4 in her entire school.

They had previously gone out to shop for Haruka's new phone since her previous one had been blown to bits by a bullet during her fight with REBEL.

It was already after school in Academy City.

"Speaking of which, Tatemiya-san, how did you end up in that facility and be captured by a bunch of worthless Level 0's?" The brown-haired ojou-sama pretty girl said in a cold tone. She couldn't believed that her rival had been defeated by a mere group of anti-espers.

"W-well a lot of stuff happened. There was this old lady and a kid looking for this boy with white hair and then you know~" The pony-tailed Level 4 esper made a sheepish smile. She couldn't remember all the events that happened that day especially her last fight where she got knocked out by some unknown person using a weird device that caused her powers to stop. "Anyway thanks for rescuing me, Tsuyuri-san."

"I didn't really do anything though. You should thank our friends instead." Aki fidgeting in her seat.

"I heard that delinquent Akito got shot while rescuing Tatemiya-san. I guess he was good for something after all." Saki continued to consume the short cake as she said that.

"He has always been reliable! Just you wait, he'll come out bursting to the top. And when he does, I'll bring him down!" Haruka raised her fist into the air. Her brilliant aura poured out as if like a phoenix that was reborn.

Aki and Saki wondered why she was getting so worked up all by herself but shrugged it off.

The three finished their lunch before parting ways.

* * *

"Urghh... that last gig really didn't turn out so well." Hamazura Shiage looked at his phone to check for the current time. "I guess I wasn't fit enough to be a leader unlike Komaba-san."

The delinquent had previously been involved in a certain incident involving Misaka Misuzu. Soon afterwards, he had ran away from his former Skill-Out associates in order to not get reprimanded and be beaten up because of his recent failure.

He currently stood in a dark alley beside a car that has been stolen from somewhere. He was wearing a messy brown hoodie and a baggy pair of jeans.

Night had just fallen in Academy City. It was at this time where the dark side does most of its activities.

Grunts prepared to transition from their normal everyday jobs into ones which involved providing transportation, disposing a corpse or any other ridiculous task given to them by their superiors.

Smugglers bring out there best items to their usual customers.

Important people suddenly disappearing because of some valuable information they might have in them or any other insane reason.

Hamazura, who was part of dark side, had just demoted himself from a leader of 100 Skill-Outs into a grunt that fetches cars in order to provide transport to the ones he works for.

Suddenly, his phone's screen lit up. A large envelope-like icon popped up in the screen indicating that he has received a text a message.

_Oh it's here. This is my first job in this organization so I better not screw this up. _Hamazura looked at the sender's name which seemed to belong to a girl.

Mugino Shizuri.

The message read that Hamazura must come to her current location immediately or else ITEM, the new organization where he will work as a grunt, will come up with a painful punishment game for him involving nutcrackers.

Hamazura tilted his head a bit in his confusion before realizing what the message meant about using nutcrackers in a _painful _punishment game.

"Shit! Is this some sort of joke?!"

Without another word, Hamazura quickly got into the stolen car and drove to the coordinates mentioned in the message, not wanting any part of the punishment game the girl had in mind.

* * *

_This move might decide it all._

Sweat dropped down from Takayama Akito's face.

His hair was dyed blonde and was very unkempt. His right leg was visibly wrapped up in bandages.

He was a Level 0 who had no special powers and was younger than most high school students in his year.

_Come on... make your move.._

In front of him was a high school student who also had blonde hair but a slightly different shade. He was wearing sunglasses indoors for some reason.

Tsuchimikado Motoharu waited for several seconds, sizing up his opponent, before making his move.

A delighted expression came out of him as he put down his hand on the square table beside him.

_Okay. Now it's my turn._

Akito nervously turned towards the other boy to his right who had black spiky hair and was just as nervous as Akito.

The young boy pondered for a bit before deciding on his next course of action.

The tension rose with each passing second.

Akito stretched his hand out before grabbing the thing in the other boy's hand.

"YOSHAAAAAAA!" The young blonde haired delinquent let out a victory cry just as he slammed his cards down onto the table, right after seeing the content of the card he just pulled out from the other boy.

"Fukou da..." Kamijou Touma muttered as he depressingly showed the Joker in his hand.

It was a Friday night in Academy City.

The three boys were currently inside Akito's dorm room, playing old maid.

The newly formed "Neighbours' association of Level 0's who rely on a kid to help with their homework" decided to play a cruel game instead of just relying on Takayama Akito with their homework.

Their bets, in the form of paper containing difficult test problems and homework, have been placed on the table in the middle of the room.

The loser would have to do all the homework laid out in the table.

"You're really bad at this, Kami-yan~" Tsuchimikado made a wide grin as he looked at the loser of the game.

Akito silently pushed up his imaginary glasses as he thought: _Just as planned._

The young boy sat on top of his bed while Tsuchimikado and Kamijou sat on the floor on both sides of the square table.

"Th-this game is getting out of hand! There's no way I'll be able to do all this in just a weekend!" Kamijou Touma protested at the unreasonable rules of the game.

"Don't worry Kamijou, I don't actually plan on giving my homework to you for fear of lowering my grades even more." Akito looked at the poor boy who had terrible luck.

Despite being a delinquent, Akito can still pass a subject without any difficulty. If he had gotten serious, he would be able to instantly reach the number one spot in his school. Of course this doesn't change the fact that he was still a Level 0 and does not hold much relevance in Academy City's research.

They go to different schools however their curriculum was very similar.

"Really?! Well then -Wait a minute! Doesn't that mean you don't trust me at all?! I know I'm not that good with homework but I could at least achieve a satisfactory grade!"

"Yahh~ If it was a cute little maid with a huge rack, I would definitely do her homework and hide it from her so we can share more intimate meetings~"

"Why would a cute maid ever ask you to do her homework to begin with?! You're a bad example for Takayama!"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Kamijou!"

"Are you sure Takayama-chi? Are you perhaps mature enough to understand the magnificent world of maids?" Tsuchimikado made a dead serious expression as he fixed up his sunglasses.

"You're fetishes have nothing to do with being mature at all! Takayama is nothing like you at all!"

"You say that Kami-yan, but don't you also have this thing for older dorm onee-san's?!"

"Th-that's beside the point here!"

"A-actually..."

Akito quietly muttered, turning away from the two.

Tsuchimikado and Kamijou fell silent as they looked on over the young boy sitting on the bed, waiting for him to continue.

"I like girl's with bangs that cover most of their foreheads."

Kamijou grew pale as he realized that his mental image of the pure boy was mistaken while Tsuchimikado gave a wide grin as he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"I knew you were one of us, Takayama-chi! You're not like this Kami-yan who runs away from the truth."

The three boys continued with their games until they got tired and withdrew for the night.

And when Takayama was left alone, he stood

* * *

**END AN.**

**In the cycle where Akito and Tomoya died, Kakine was not aware that Haruka was in the building so he just launched his attack without much thought.**

**Tatemiya Haruka has already been identified to the public as 'rescued' so Kakine will not risk kidnapping Haruka in order to avoid drawing needless attention.**

**Maya is an OC being lent to me from A Certain Defective Sister, making a cameo here so I did not make her.**

**EOF.**


	9. Worth

**Akito: "You damn author! Just because I'm part of your personality's darkness doesn't mean that you can trap me in an invisible maze of hypnotism and shoot my leg! And why does Tsuyuri-san have such a cool power when I'm the main protagonist here?!"**

**soul: "Whoa~ Chill out kiddo. You're doing just fine~ Giving you powers would be way too boring so just make do with what you have."**

**Akito: "I even died in an alternate timeline for christ sake!"**

**soul: "It's fine! That's nothing compared to when Touma was stuck in the multiverses made to specifically torture him. Just keep this up kiddo and you will eventually reach his level."**

**Akito: "Tsk..."**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Worthx0**

* * *

"Hmm... Looks like this area is clear. Nothing suspicious anywhere." Shirai Kuroko looked around the vicinity of the public square.

The Level 4 Teleporter was patrolling around the event area of The Science and Liberal Arts Exhibition as a member of Judgment. The event was being held for 3 days, throughout a large portion of a certain school district. Other Judgment members were surveying other parts of the exhibition.

She was currently standing in the middle of a public square, surrounded by dozens of people eating their lunch on the small outdoor food court.

The whole district was in a festive mood. There were lots of people going through all the attractions in the area.

There was an open air theater at one corner of the grounds where various plays and musicals were being performed.

There were conferences held in complexes surrounding the public square, giving symposiums and presentations about current scientific discoveries. Researchers took this chance to present their new findings to the scientific community and to attract more individuals who are willing to fund their research.

Several of Academy City's latest 3-dimensional holographic technology were used to make images of cartoon-like mascots, such as a famous chibi green frog character, around the food stalls of the eating area. Circular devices the size of hockey pucks were stuck on metal stands, emitting long multicolored lights around itself to generate a holographic effect. Lots of children flocked around these light-generated mascots.

"These kinds of devices should work more effectively at night time." Shirai noticing the transparency of the images due to being exposed to the sun. "They should've just kept them indoors instead."

The holographic images themselves were part of the exhibition, one of the main attractions of the 12th Mechatronics Research Center.

"Uiharu, I'm going to take a break for while so I'll be hanging up." Shirai spoke to the communication device attached to her ear before taking it off.

The area was very crowded and all tables were occupied so she decided to move to the nearest family restaurant she could find.

She moved out of the food court and crossed the nearby street whereby she found a branch of Joseph's.

"My apologies dear customer, we don't have any empty tables at the moment so do you mind sharing one with another customer?" A young waitress politely greeted Shirai just as she entered the family restaurant.

The interior of the restaurant was filled with people attending the exhibition.

"I don't mind." Shirai replied without much thought.

"Then please follow me."

The waitress led Shirai to a distant table being occupied by only a single person.

"Huh?" Shirai stopped in her tracks after seeing the person at one of the table's seat.

"Eh?" The girl known as Musujime Awaki noticed Shirai and gave a similar expression.

"Ara? It's seems you two know each other. Then, dear customer."

"W-wait a minute!" Shirai tried to get the waitress' attention however the latter hurriedly went off to attend to the other customers of the family restaurant.

_How is this happening?!_

Shirai now sat in front of the Level 4 Move Point. The latter closed her eyes in deep thought, not minding the awkward situation at all.

The two pig-tailed girls had fought each other in the past to secure the Remnant of the Tree Diagram super-computer. They were both heavily injured in the process.

They were in bad terms. At least that is what Shirai Kuroko had thought.

"It has been a while, Shirai-san. How are things at work?"

"..."

"What's the matter, Shirai-san?" Musujime said with one eye out.

"Don't ask me how I'm feeling as if we're friends! We're enemies remember?!" Shirai scratched her head in frustration.

"Perhaps. But that doesn't mean we can't act civilized in public can we? You're in Judgment after all so it's common sense to avoid a fight inside a family restaurant full of people. It was only a job after all, it's not like I hated you for being in the way. You had to do what you had to do as a member of Judgment. Plus that conflict has been resolved already." Musujime shrugged.

The Level 4 Move Point kept her cool head in front of her former nemesis.

"W-What are you trying to say here?! Are you saying that you like me or something?!" A cross-shaped vein appeared on Shirai's forehead.

"Well..."

Before Musujime could finish what she was about to say, a young waitress different from the one before appeared before the table, carrying a pink-colored ice cream soda with two red straws intertwining with each other to form a heart shape.

"Congratulations dear customers! This table has been picked for our special limited time-only special event. You will receive this delicious strawberry-flavored ice cream float for free!" The young waitress energetically announced to Musujime and Shirai.

The waitress enthusiastically placed the sweet beverage on the table and briefly winked at the two pig-tailed girls with a smile that says: _This should help progress things._

"Well I guess its bottoms up, honey." Musujime unaffected by the turn of events, took the red straw in front of her and gulped down the beverage.

"I AM ONEE-SAMA'S AND ONEE-SAMA'S ALONE!"

In the end, Shirai decided to drink the strawberry-flavored ice cream float as well, planning to annoy Musujime by consuming all of it however it didn't seem that Musujime minded at all.

The two continued their brief date inside the family restaurant.

* * *

"Hmm... so this game will come out this December in Academy City huh. I'm more of an RPG fan but this game received a lot of hype and was in the top recommends for this year so maybe a change of pace would be nice?" Akito quietly muttered as he read through the small article of the gaming magazine in his hand. "But the comments from the message boards aren't reliable enough. In the end I have to try it out for myself to know if it's any good or not..."

The young boy rested on top of his bed in one corner of the room. His right leg was wrapped up in bandages underneath his jeans due to an injury he received from being shot by a gun, however, he was fine enough to walk as long as it was short distances.

The room did not have much decorations apart from the PC in one corner of the room and several orange cushions he recently bought.

"Wow! This tea is impressive! It's nothing like what I have had before." Atsuchi Tomoya, a boy wearing black framed glasses, brown trousers and a buttoned up white long-sleeve shirt underneath a green checkered vest, widened his eyes in amazement as he stared down inside the white pearlescent tea cup in his hands. He sat on a cushion at one side of the square table.

"It really is! Can you teach me how to make this, Maika-chan?" Tsuyuri Aki sat on another cushion on the opposite end of the table facing Tomoya. She wore a light-blue dress and a white cardigan.

"No problem. Let this humble maid in training teach you her little secret in making delicious tea~" A young girl wearing a blue and white maid outfit cheerfully replied. Her name was Tsuchimikado Maika. The tea she served was a special unique style only taught by the Ryouran Maid School.

"Is that a short cake I'm seeing?!"

The maid approached the table while holding a platter of desserts which she prepared in the kitchen, and a girl named Index, a nun wearing a white habit with golden designs, hurriedly grabbed one of the white plates holding a cream covered short cake. She sat on another orange cushion on a different side of the table.

"..."

The magazine fell on top of Akito's face. The noise inside the dorm room was too loud for him to concentrate on this important, and possibly life-changing, decision he was about to make.

The four were casually eating lunch inside Akito's dorm room for some reason.

"So Index-san, you said that you are currently living with Touma-san in the room above. Are you her relative? You two don't look alike." Tomoya turned to face the young nun.

"Nope! Touma just takes care of me. That's all~!" Index energetically replied the instant she finished munching down the short cake.

"Ehh? So he's your guardian or something?"

"What's wrong Akito-kun?" Aki turned towards the boy with the troubled expression.

"It's nothing..." Akito put the magazine aside.

_How did my room become a cafe all of a sudden...?_

Overhearing that he wouldn't be able to attend school for a while, the duo of a nun and maid came to check up on him since they nothing else to do. Takayama Akito and the others were acquainted with them thanks to Kamijou Touma.

Soon afterwards, Tomoya and Aki came to visit the young boy and then they found themselves in the current situation they were in.

_I'm not used to having so many people around..._

The blonde-haired boy usually spent his whole day alone in front of the computer.

"Hm? Where are you going blondie?" Index noticed the young boy got up from his bed and moved towards his closet. The other three turned their attention to Akito as well.

"Just going to buy some stuff I forgot." Akito said as he retrieved a plain white hoodie with a black X-mark design on the left chest area and putting it on over his blue shirt before heading towards the entrance of the room. He didn't lie though. He really forgot to buy a replacement phone for the one he broke during his fight.

"Shall I come with you?" Tomoya said looking concerned.

"Ahh.. no it's fine. I won't be too far. I'm fully healed now anyway." The young boy hurriedly left the room.

* * *

"Ahh~ So this is Academy City. It's completely different than the rest of Japan." A blonde woman wearing a feathered hat with a large circular rim and an expensive-looking dress, stood in front of the open theater of a public square.

Her phone suddenly vibrated from within her crocodile-skinned purse.

"Hello? Yes, Peter, I'm already here in the Science and Liberal Arts Exhibition. Nothing catches my eye yet however I do see some promising children on the stage." Susan Fairchild talked on her phone as she watched the performance on the stage of the open air theater.

The audience was deeply moved by the passionate performance of the student actors on stage.

She was currently scouting for potential talents to take back to America.

"Academy City is really interesting. It's the first time I've seen robots in broad daylight though I've yet to encounter those people they call espers."

All of a sudden, a girl absentmindedly bumped into her from behind.

The girl looked to be around 16 years old, had short ginger colored hair and sky blue eyes. She wore a loose body suit of pure white, similar to a strait jacket, and was probably made of something like synthetic fiber. Three black belts dangled from her sleeves and the sides of the thigh area of the body suit.

"Ah, sorry, my calculation pattern fluctuated just now." The girl said with a blank expression, not even facing the woman she just bumped into.

"My~ I've been discovered by my fans already! Even in Academy City I'm still quite famous. Well I did star in multiple award winning S-Rated movies after all. Hold on I'm going to give you something special." Susan Fairchild rummaged around her purse. She took out a brown paper napkin she got from the airport and signed it with her autograph.

"... Is this one of those claim stubs you exchange for a year's worth of hamburgers?" The girl tilted her head slightly in her puzzlement as she received the autographed napkin.

"Huh?" Susan did not expect such a dry reaction from the girl. She was sure that her Japanese was good enough to hold a conversation so it was impossible for the girl to have misheard her.

"Are you not Japanese?" The blonde adult woman spoke in English this time.

"Hmm... I cannot see the expiration date anywhere..." The girl inspected the napkin closely as if there was a hidden message on it, completely ignoring the blonde woman that gave it to her.

"E-excuse me girlie, d-do you even know who I am?!" Susan spoke in Japanese again since that was what the girl was using. A cross-shaped vein appeared on the blonde actress' cheek. She was reaching her limit. This was the first time in her career as a movie star that someone treated her this coldly.

"I hope it will be cheeseburgers. I hear they are the best variant among all of the kingdom of burgers. My conquest will start from here~" The ginger haired girl turned around and moved onwards to her next destination.

"W-wait just a minute here girlie! No one ever dares treat me like this!"

Suddenly, a group of men wearing black suits appeared from the distance, across the street. They were heading towards the two females, however, their target was not the famous actress but the young girl.

"..."

The young girl's expression changed to a serious one after noticing the men heading straight for her. She dropped the napkin suddenly and ran towards a certain direction away from the men.

"Is this how Academy City treat people from outside?!"

The woman's voice trailed off as the mysterious girl rushed out of the open-air theater.

* * *

"Let's see..." Takayama Akito stared down at the display case containing many different kinds of phones.

He was inside a store which sells your usual everyday gadgets such as smart phones, computer parts and accessories, and laptops.

The stores in Academy City did not particularly sell super high-tech phones that have specs that can surpass an average desktop machine. They were normal ones which you can even buy outside of Academy City.

"This one is way too expensive and doesn't have the right clock frequency I'm looking for. This one doesn't have enough memory. This one is too fragile. This one... I don't even understand why this thing exist in the first place." The young boy looked at each of the phones on display.

He usually kept a secondary phone with him in order to gather information around his surroundings since Academy City was such a large place and getting lost or bumping into trouble is very common. It was convenient that Academy City had lots of security cameras and a diverse network of information which anyone can exploit.

He had a specific criteria for choosing his secondary phone. Utility and practicality comes first among others. He did not bother with any additional features as long the phone has enough hardware specifications to decrypt a standard encryption scheme.

_Ahh... I need some coffee in my system so I'll just pick these two then and hurry back. Tsuchimikado probably makes good coffee as well..._

Akito chose two different phones from the display and paid for them at the counter.

The two phones had distinct qualities of their own. One had high connection capabilities, able to search a large radius for a wireless connection and the other had the latest microprocessor installed, able to finish thousands of processes per minute.

He put the two brand new phones into his pocket before casually walking out of the store and onto the street heading towards District 7.

"...There's so many people around. Guess it's the weekend after all."

The young boy looked around the area. There were people heading towards the public square a certain distance from where he was standing.

"Well wha-"

Suddenly, something big like a steamroller knocked him out of balance. The boy fell to the ground consequently.

"Oww! What the hell?" Akito turned towards the source of the impact.

"Sorry. I'm kind of in a hurry. Here..."

Without warning, a mysterious girl with short ginger colored hair and wearing an unusual outfit picked up Takayama Akito, bridal-style, and ran away with him at an absurd amount of speed.

"W-waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!" Akito's voice trailed off into the distance.

* * *

"It seems my running ability was too much for them so I'm safe for now." The mysterious girl turned towards the direction she came from and spoke in a voice that was plainly calm.

They were now extremely far away from the Science and Liberal Arts Exhibition area.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?! Put me down already, you kidnapper!" Akito still being held in the girls arms, clueless of what is going on.

"Ah, is this one of those situations where I must treat you to something as an apology?" The girl said with a blank expression.

"Huh?"

The girl casually walked a bit more before stopping in front of an open cafe.

"What are you doing?"

The girl put Akito down on one of the seats before sitting on the opposite seat in front of him.

The turn of events was too fast for the young boy to keep up.

"Fine. Whatever. Just do whatever you want~" Akito sighed, admitting his defeat as he waved his hand around like a white flag.

"I'm truly sorry. I had to get away from that area as soon as possible so I picked you up without thinking. Ah, I'm now currently in the situation where I apologized to you." The girl let out an embarrassed smile.

"W-well if that's how it was then I guess it couldn't be helped."

It may have been an illusion. It may have been just wandering light from somewhere. But a bit of redness was leaking out of that boy's cheek. He realized how beautiful the girl was despite wearing such awkward clothes.

The girl looked suspicious, but she didn't seem like a bad person. In fact, she looks just like one of the main heroines in Akito's favorite RPG game, Stella-san, is what Akito thought.

_What's with this situation?!_

"Athena." The mysterious girl said plainly.

"What?"

"That is what I identify myself."

"..."

Akito furrowed his eyebrows a bit after hearing those words.

A waitress came up to them and took their orders. Athena ordered black tea and a muffin while Akito only ordered an espresso.

"That's a weird name. Are you from outside Academy City?" Akito took a sip from his cup of freshly brewed espresso. The flavor was enough to make him go wide-eyed.

"No. I have been living here as far as I could remember." Athena said gleefully while she munched down on her delicious muffin.

"So you are a student then? What school?" The blonde-haired boy couldn't help but fire question after question at the mysterious girl.

"I am homeschooled. Umm..?"

"Takayama Akito."

_Is Athena some kind of code name?_

"My teachers told me that my curriculum is sort of special though, Takayama-san."

"Is that so? So you're already Level 3 or something?" Akito didn't mind the topic of levels now unlike before. He was recently preoccupied by all the annoying people coming into his room to play card games or have snacks so he hasn't thought much about esper powers for a while.

"Nope. I'm still Level 0."

"Pfft." A bit of coffee suddenly spilled out of the boy's lips. "Oi, oi. I thought your curriculum was supposed to be special?"

"It is. That is why I am doing my best!" The girl lightly pumped her fist. "How about you Takayama-san?"

"I just go to a normal school. I'm not really interested in those things anymore."

"Why is that if I may ask?" Athena tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.

"In the past, I did a lot of things in order to progress my level. I even researched other people's powers and Personal Reality. I was so frustrated about everyone being above me especially those people who do not even deserve their power in the first place." Akito said with a slightly melancholic tone.

"People who do not deserve their power?"

"Espers who abuse their powers. Academy City is so irresponsible that it willingly gives out dangerous powers to children." Akito practically spat out those words before pausing a bit to recall the events that transpired recently. "However, for some reason, I was also saved by espers. In the end, I thought that protecting those freeloaders occupying my room is far more important than being concerned about developing my own power."

"I see..." Athena took another sip from her black tea. She elegantly brushed the hair over her left ear. "But Takayama-san, those people who do not deserve their power, are you not also one of them?"

"Huh?" Surprised, the boy abruptly put down his cup.

"Did you not undergo the Power Development Curriculum because you were engrossed with the idea of obtaining a power of your own, like a child wanting a brand new toy, and doing all sorts of things with that power for your personal enjoyment?"

"..."

"Is someone as immature as that and directing his own jealousy on others, worthy of gaining special powers?"

Those words stabbed at Akito's heart. It was true that before he moved to Academy City, he was only obsessed with obtaining esper powers and not what he would do with it afterwards. And he also was terribly envious of other people's powers.

"However, I think you should not fret too much on 'who is worthy of powers or not' or whether what Academy City is doing is just or not." Athena interjected before Akito could think any further.

"What?"

"Academy City makes espers just like the ones that saved you. Just as there are espers who use their powers to do evil deeds, there are those who use them for good. Can you say that what Academy City was doing is bad? You can't. The world is not made up of just black and white. How things are discerned depends on which angle you look at them from." Athena took a sip of tea before continuing. "Therefore you cannot tell for certain if someone is deserving of their power from just one angle or from one instance where they are using their powers for a specific purpose, people change after all so they may begin as 'unworthy' of their powers but there is also a possibility that they may save lives and other good deeds in the future."

Akito continued to divulge the stream of knowledge from Athena as she dictated them to him. He was certain that he had come across these ideas before.

"Just like Schrodinger's paradox huh? If one has the means during a scenario where he is isolated, he could both be good and evil until someone observes their actions. Like Academy City who creates good and evil espers." Akito stated plainly.

"Yes. I suppose it is something like that, though a philosophical analogy is more appropriate to use here since things like Academy City is far different from scientific theories like Schrodinger's paradox which do not have relation to philosophical ideologies like being good or evil. Remember that next time Takayama-san."

"I see now..." Akito finishing his espresso, completely lost in thought.

"By the way, shishou." Athena sounding more serious.

"Why am I a teacher all of a sudden when you are the one teaching me all these things?"

"You gave me some precious insight just now so I thought it would be fitting. Anyway, this thing which I'm about to tell you is very important so please listen up."

"Huh?" An audible gulp could be heard from the boy's throat after hearing those words. _Wh-what else is she about to tell me?!_

"You see..."

"Yeah?"

"I do not have money on me so you will have to pay the bill."

"..."

* * *

"Akito-kun sure is taking his time." The bespectacled class representative looked at his wristwatch.

"Sorry Tomoya-kun, I really need to head back now. Index-chan, Maika-chan, bye bye~" Aki bid farewell to the two.

"Sure sure! Next time, I'll teach you other techniques of a maid." Maika was cleaning up all the used plates and tea cups.

"Come play again next time, alright?!" Index waved good bye to Aki. "I'll introduce you to my friend, Hyouka!"

"Ahh! Wait for me Aki-chan! I'll walk you home!" Tomoya briskly tried to catch up to the girl

* * *

"Oi! Are you done yet?! This is really embarrassing!" Akito shouted towards the changing room behind him. Being in the women's section of a department store close to District 7 was not something a high school boy could get used to doing. A nervous sweat ran down his cheek. He was slightly flushed from all the stares he was getting.

"In just a second."

"That suit you were wearing attracts too much attention so choose something normal!"

The curtains of the changing room suddenly sprang open.

"Oh good you're finally do- Bsdjhfft!" The young blonde haired boy made a sound that was out of this world.

"I think this C-sized one is still not enough. Wait a minute I'm going to get the other one."

Athena stood tall in the middle of the changing room with only black lingerie on. Akito didn't notice from the loose straight jacket the girl wore before, but she had a very slim figure and the black lingerie accentuated the girl's white skin.

"Didn't you bring some clothes with you?! Why are you only wearing underwear?!" The young boy immediately closed the curtains to the changing room.

"Wait! Shishou! Is this not enough already? Is this not a girl's most optimized state?"

"Wait right there and don't come out you damn weirdo!"

The young boy ran around the store picking out clothes that will match the girl's sizes, of course he will end up paying for those clothes as well but it couldn't be helped.

_Ahh... I guess I don't have the luxury of buying games any time soon..._

Soon afterwards, Akito handed some clothes to Athena while turning away from the girl.

"Hmm... Are you sure about this, shishou? From my understanding, this is not a conventional style for teenage girls."

Athena was now wearing a black hoodie that was two sizes too big and had grey arrow designs, black sandals, and skinny jeans.

"It's fine! Hoodies are mankind's ultimate type of clothing. They allow you to become stylish and inconspicuous at the same time!" Akito gave an approving nod to the young girl before paying the exact amount of money at the counter.

"Is that supposed to be your unique character trait, shishou?"

"Hm? I don't know what you mean. Though I'm no longer a delinquent and there are tons of people with blonde hair, I still have other unique traits that readers don't know about."

"Shishou, please stop..."

The two left the department store before heading towards Akito's dorm in District 7.

"So what's your plan after we arrive at the dorm? You can't just hide there forever. They will eventually find us out."

"Yes I know. But I want to walk around outside for a bit longer..."

"?"

There was a hint of sadness in Athena's words just now. The young boy still didn't know why the girl was on the run so he thought that there must be some sort of complications in her home that she wanted to get away from. Either way, he decided to help her for now.

The two were currently walking down the street. The amount of people gradually decreased as they moved forward.

It was already dusk now in Academy City.

"W-well, let's just talk about it once we reach the dorm."

"Ah is this one of those opportunities that boys undergoing puberty dream of?"

"I don't know what you are talking about but you are completely and utterly wrong."

They turned towards the big alleyway to their left.

Akito suddenly grabbed Athena's arm, completely stopping her.

"What's wrong shishou?"

"..."

A petite girl with short brown hair stood in the middle of the alley, blocking them from reaching the other end. She wore a pink sweater dress which stops above her thighs. An innocent smile crept up her face.

"There's something off with that girl." Akito quietly muttered.

He couldn't quite point his finger on it but there was something out of place with the girl, something different from Athena who was naturally out of place.

Something abnormally dark like Shin.

The sensation the girl gave off was a combination of intimidation and killing intent.

Darkness continued to swallow the alleyway.

"Yes! I super found you first! Now I will surely get the super bonus pay~" The girl cheerfully said.

"Who are you?" Akito took out his two phones, turning them on immediately to search for any security or cleaning robot in the area. He instantly typed in a code on the native editor of the phone with the advanced microprocessor and sending the code to the external compiler in his dorm room's PC to process his program for taking control of a security robot. The phone was newly bought so he hasn't prepared them with the same capabilities as his original phone yet.

"I did not expect a bystander would be in the way. This is super annoying..." The girl referring to Akito.

"I repeat. Who the hell are you?" Akito still waiting for the phone to detect possible resources in the area. A cold sweat ran down his back. He could not see through the mysterious girl's intentions.

"There's super no need for you to know..."

In that instant, the small girl suddenly ran towards Akito at high speed.

Akito pushed Athena away before the small girl could launch her attack on him.

"!?"

The girl aimed a blow towards his face with her slender arms, but he was able to evade it completely.

It must have been because he fought a strong fighter like Shin that he was able to react faster in evading attacks now is what he thought.

_Tsk... I need to delay her until I find something on my phone._

As he moved away from the girl, he quickly hid the two phones into his pockets and jumped backwards away from her. A tinge of aching appeared on his recovering leg but he persevered before grabbing the steel pipe on the ground. His instincts told him that any normal way of fighting was useless against these types of people.

"Don't fuck with me!" Akito swung the steel pipe down on the girl's right shoulder. It may have been cruel but he was certain that she was one of those people related to those mysterious organizations Shin spoke of.

Akito closed his eyes the instant the pipe made contact with the girl's body.

There was a repulsive sound as he thrust the pipe downwards.

"What the hell?!"

The pipe was completely bent in a right angle along the girl's body, however, the girl was unharmed.

"My ability is known as Offense Armor. I create a thin barrier of compressed nitrogen around my entire body which stops things like bullets from hitting me. Super awesome isn't it?"

Seeing his attack get deflected like it was nothing, the Level 0 let go of the steel pipe and hurriedly skipped backwards to put some distance in between them while the girl just stood there calmly watching the boy.

Akito was up against a girl named Kinuhata Saiai, a member of Academy City's secret organization, ITEM. It was a Level 0 against a Level 4.

"Judging from the way you handled that steel pipe, you must be a super lame Level 0. This will super simplify things."

_This is bad. I'm guessing that ability can block any normal attack. A strong enough force may be able to knock her away due to her size but I don't have anything like that._

The Level 0 continued to think up of a plan in the midst of the battle, still keeping his eyes on the ridiculously strong esper.

"It's best if you just super give up already."

"Like hell I would!"

Suddenly, a beeping sound rang throughout the alley.

The sound came from the phone which was searching for possible resources for him inside his pocket.

He found one.

The boy hurriedly put it on display and saw the location of the robot.

"It's... right here...?"

In that instant, an explosive noise resounded in the alley.

"Uwaaah!"

Kinuhata Saiai, the Level 4 Offense Armor, was hit from behind by a miniature tank buster missile. Her body flung upwards passed Akito due to the massive impact of the explosion.

Akito turned towards the source of the missile.

"W-what?!"

It was Athena.

* * *

Hamazura Shiage and Takitsubo Rikou were inside a stolen car, monitoring the situation of each ITEM member from the radio channels.

The car was currently parked besides a restaurant in a certain district not too far away from the other members of ITEM.

"Hamazura."

Takitsubo turned towards the Level 0 sitting on the driver's seat.

"I know. I'm contacting Mugino now to inform her that the target came in contact with Kinuhata."

"That's not what I'm about to say." Takitsubo replied monotonously "Kinuhata fought an esper who was protecting the target. We should hurry there so I could use my ability to record his AIM."

"Oh right! Getting leads on our target takes top priority I guess." the grunt fumbled as he tried grabbing the car keys before starting the car's engine.

The two drove off to the location of the alley where Kinuhata Saiai fought.

* * *

"Let's take a quick break." Akito panted as Athena dragged him by the arm.

They were now on a big metallic bridge that led to District 7. Underneath the bridge was a stream of water that flowed towards the outside of Academy City. The bight moon reflected on the water's surface.

Akito originally rushed over to Athena first in the dark alley in order to get away from the Level 4 but their difference in physical abilities was apparent when the humanoid robot eventually overtook the human being.

"Are you not afraid...?" Athena said with a slightly nervous tone.

"That you're not human? Well we are in Academy City after all so I was kind of expecting that I would come across an android or a cyborg one day." A rare, carefree smile formed on the boy's lips, directed towards his partner in crime. "I admit it was cool that a missile came out of your arm. Do you have any other weaponry stored inside your body or a jet pack maybe? By the way, how did you digest all that food from before?"

"I am not human. I am just a machine, an android. Doesn't that make you uncomfortable?"

"Why would I?"

"..."

"What? Why are you so quiet suddenly? Where did all that machinegun-talking from before disappeared to?"

With her expression hidden behind her bright ginger-like hair, Athena slowly walked towards the boy and embraced him tightly.

"W-what? What's the matter with you all of a sudden?!" The boy blushed furiously. His face was just above the girl's chests. He could a smell a pleasant aroma over the black hoodie she wore.

Despite being an android, she gave out a warmth just like any human being.

"I am glad that I was able to leave the research lab so I could meet you, shishou." Athena said softly, relieved that the boy was not disturbed by the girl's peculiar condition. "To tell you the truth, I did not lie about being homeschooled or being an esper either. The researchers were only doing an experiment to see if an advanced AI is capable of becoming an esper so I was tutored under the Power Development Curriculum."

Akito listened to the girl's story intently without letting go of her.

"But I realized that there was a world outside that I was missing so I decided to escape from the facility. I feel relieved now that I'm here with you."

"Well, we're not out of the woods yet. That girl from before had a power that can block any physical attack so I doubt that missile took her out for good. But I'll be ready when I face her next time." Akito tried to cheer the girl up but it had the opposite effect.

"Shishou... Doesn't that mean that you are actually looking forward to seeing her again? Is it because you two seem to be close in age?! Am I not good enough for you?!"

"O-oi! What kind of misunderstanding are you brewing up-"

Before they could react, small footsteps could be heard from the other side of the bridge behind Akito.

Noticing the appearance of the stranger, Takayama Akito quietly turned around, freeing himself from Athena's grasp before shielding her a few distance behind him.

"What is a lowly brat doing here?" A woman with tea-colored hair and wearing an expensive-looking coat said with a disgruntled expression as she glared down at the young boy.

She was Academy City's #4 Level 5, Mugino Shizuri.

The young boy stared down menacingly at the Level 5.

Akito was now facing against one of the strongest espers in Academy City.

In comparison, Athena would stand a greater chance against the Level 5 esper than the Level 0 however Takayama Akito did not consider backing away from this fight. Despite not knowing what the other's powers were and despite not knowing she was one of Academy City's seven Level 5's, he stood tall with unshaken resolve.

He could not allow himself to cowardly hide behind the one he was protecting.

It did not matter to him if he was a powerless Level 0 or not, what he had to do did not change. He would lose faith in himself if he backed down now.

He pulled out each of his two phones with both his hands, but he didn't turn them on. The phones were tightly clenched within the boy's fists.

Mugino Shizuri brought out her right hand as she collected the electrons for her Meltdowner, bright green lights of energy circulated around her palm. Her power was to manipulate electrons which have reached the state between being a particle and being a wave. This was, if not the most, destructive power in Academy City. It could easily tear though the multiple layers of an aegis ship. From this distance, her Meltdowner can easily kill him.

"So what crazy powers do you have, you bitch?"

That mocking voice did not come from the Level 5 but the young boy in front her.

Without another word, Takayama Akito recklessly charged forward towards Mugino Shizuri.

"Hmph. Damn kid-"

Just as Mugino was about to fire her Meltdowner on the young boy who was running right towards her, an odd phenomenon occurred.

The Level 5 lost control of her body as if being controlled by an invisible force.

Her whole body became stiff and her arm fell limply downwards.

She was unable to use her ability lest she accidentally fire it at herself.

"What the hell is going on?! Is this some sort of special ability?" Mugino desperately tried to regain control of her body.

A second afterwards, her body flung towards the young boy at high speed.

"Don't underestimate me, damn esper!" Akito connected his right fist with the Level 5's face.

A dull sound rang out.

The Level 5 fell to the ground a meter away from Akito.

She was now unconscious.

"H-how do you like my Vortex Point!?" Takayama Akito shouted at the unconcious Level 5, panting from all the effort he put into the attack just now.

Without further delay, he grabbed Athena's hand, leading her away from the bridge.

"Just now, was that...?" Athena called out to the boy who was leading the escape.

"Yeah. You just reached Level 2 or something higher." Akito said to Athena who was behind him, aware of what had just occurred in that fight. "But the enemy must never know or else your researchers will stop at nothing to get you."

* * *

**I appreciate the feedback no matter how bad it is so bring it on!**

**If someone ever decides to write an OC Battle Royale collaboration in ToAru, I'll definitely pick Akito hands down as my representative.**


	10. Impossible

**Chapter 10 - Imp0ssible_**

* * *

Athena stared blankly at her right hand.

She was a synthetic human, an android. Her whole body was made to accurately depict a normal human being.

Cyborgs were common in Academy City due to their applications in prosthetic technology, however, Athena was not a cyborg nor was she just any ordinary robot, she was an existence that was truly one of a kind. She was not originally a human in the beginning and had her brain transferred to a robotic body like some cyborgs, she was a robotic existence ever since she first gained consciousness.

Most of her organs and other body parts were a combination of machinery and synthesized cell tissues. Certain parts were mostly mechanical, including her arms which could hold certain weapons like the miniature tank buster she used.

However, that was not the only reason why she was special.

_I have a Personal Reality now._

Athena recounts the events during their confrontation with an unknown esper on the bridge where she had awoken to a power that was originally theorized to be exclusive to human beings only.

_My power activated because I desperately wanted to protect shishou. I have to take note of this next time he is in trouble..._

Was it because she displayed human-like emotions that she was able to possess a Personal Reality?

Or was it her immense knowledge regarding the principles behind espers and her computational capacity which were her special functions as an android?

Was she becoming more human as time passes?

She continued to ask these questions while trying to reach a deeper understanding of the principles behind her existence.

"Hey uh... Can I ask you something if you don't mind?" A boy named Takayama Akito looked at the android beside him nervously, trying to match her pace.

The two ran around the empty streets of Academy City at night, trying to reach the boy's dorm while being pursued by a mysterious organization affiliated with the dark side of Academy City known as ITEM. But the two did not know of these facts, especially the boy. The only thing Takayama Akito knew for sure was that the researchers working on Athena was working together with said organization in order to capture her.

"Yes?" The girl snapped out of her deep thoughts.

"Since you have weapons stored in your body..." Akito with a tensed voice "Does that mean the researchers who made you are going to use you as a weapon?"

"...That is correct, I have mechanisms in my body for holding various weaponry but I only had that missile equipped because I am only just a prototype and the plans for other weapons I can use are still under development." Athena spoke to the boy with a calm demeanour.

"That means you will be mass-produced once they prove in their experiment that an android with an advanced AI is able to gain a Personal Reality, which we have proven already?"

"Yes. I do not know much about the details of the project however I assume they will copy all the data stored in my brain, including my Personal Reality files, and install them on the later models for production. My fate is uncertain however since the later versions will most likely surpass my specifications."

Akito's face stiffened as he heard the cruel plan laid out for Athena.

_So they're just gonna use her as a disposable weapon?! Dammit... Academy City is full of fucking war mongers. I knew this twisted city was rotten to the core!_

"Please do not get mad at Academy City because of this, shishou." Athena with a quiet voice, commenting as if she had just read Akito's mind.

"How can I not get mad?! Those fuckers think you're just some disposable weapon!" Akito raged, tightening his grip on the girl's hand. "You don't want that to happen to you, don't you?!"

"Yes. I do not want to hurt or kill anyone, or be destroyed as well, but... if it were not for them, I would not have been created nor got to see this world, and... I would not have met you." Athena smiled a bit. "The world isn't just made up of black and white, remember?"

"I-it's not like I was thinking of you or anything! I just don't like how Academy City just does whatever it wants." The boy avoided eye contact before taking out his phone. A map was displayed in the phone's screen, showing a single red dot."Good. It looks like they still haven't caught up to us."

"Is that dot the location of our pursuers, shishou?"

"Yeah, I was able to access the phone of that girl from the bridge and retrieved its identification code which I used to pinpoint its coordinates in the GPS."

They turned around the corner of the lamp lit street, the dorm was now in full view.

"Still though..."Akito trying to change the subject."It's amazing that you act so human despite the fact you are operating under an AI. I suppose the researchers spent a lot of time creating it?"

"Well, from what I have heard, their approach allowed them to create my AI in under a month."

"What?! Is Academy CIty's technology really that frightening?!"

"I surmised that the process was automatized using a system consisting of a machine learning program receiving input from a TesC:sd/_adnt machi_dXywur."

"Huh?" Akito furrowed his eyebrows after hearing Athena utter some words that sounded like a speaker under heavy static noise.

They paused for a while, trying to understand what just occurred.

Athena lightly touched her neck.

"What is hapXmgoc:dks?"

Before they could react, a dark figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, standing directly behind Akito.

"Huh!? Owww!"

"Are g:/sW_sd okay, shishX:dl/?!"

The figure grabbed hold of the boy's right wrist and shoulder, and then pulled his arm behind him into an awkward angle which prevented him from making any movements.

Akito looked behind him and saw a girl that was taller than him with dark shoulder-length hair, wide-open eyes, and wearing a dark blue trench coat. He was now forced down on his knees.

"Were you sent by Academy City's 12th Mechatronics Research Center to recover Athena?" The girl spoke in English in her first word but then switched to Japanese with the rest.

That question did not come from the young boy, but the mysterious girl holding him down.

"What are you talking about?!" Akito tried as much as he could to break free of the girl's hold but she was fairly strong.

The mysterious girl inspected Akito for a bit before stating the result of her assessment.

"Hmm... it doesn't seem that you are from the dark side. You don't have any sort of killing intent in you. I apologize." The girl released Akito.

Athena rushed over to Akito's side to aide him while keeping an eye on the mysterious girl.

The young boy slowly stood up and rubbed his wrist.

"Who the hell are you?!" He spat out, turning to face the stranger.

The girl gave a sharp glare at Akito before letting out an exasperated sigh at his helplessness.

A cross-shaped vein popped up on the boy's forehead, representing his anger.

Akito was about to retort but the girl put forth her hand to stop him before finally answering his question.

"My name is Nunotaba Shinobu."

* * *

"AARRGHH! I'm gonna kill that fucking piece of shit!" Mugino Shizuri pulled at her long hair in frustration. She was currently sitting inside a stolen car near a metallic bridge.

The car was currently parked on a road by the bridge as ITEM waited for the Level 5 Meltdowner to regain consciousness.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to use my ability." Takitsubo Rikou lay limply on the passenger seat of the car."The target and that boy already left my effective range when we got here."

"It's super not your fault Takitsubo-san." Kinuhata Saiai said in a carefree voice beside Mugino Shizuri before pointing at the driver of the stolen car."It's Hamazura's fault for being such a crappy driver."

"Then why don't you drive!" The delinquent behind the wheel retorted. "Anyway, where's Frenda?"

"She said that she'll scout ahead and that we shouldn't blame her if she gets to the target first." Kinuhata replied.

ITEM were currently under a mission to pursue a rogue android that escaped an Academy City facility. The usual liaison contacted Mugino Shizuri, their leader, on her phone and gave them the necessary details on the android while concealing top secret Academy City information.

"Tsk.. Hamazura!" Mugino called out the delinquent behind the wheel.

The delinquent twitched at his superior's call. He was well aware how frightening the Level 5 could be when she is in this state.

"Yeah...?"

"Send the information about the boy and his Telekinetic ability to Frenda. I vaguely remember that he called it Vortex Point or something before I lost consciousness. And also..." Mugino rubbed her temple, trying to ease her irritation. "Call the intel corps for information on his ability, and tell the rest of the subordinate organization to be on the lookout for the target and contact us when they find her."

"Right!" Hamazura pulled out his phone immediately, trying not to talk back at Mugino's bossy demands, and dialed the numbers of the subordinate group of ITEM and Frenda.

"Speaking of which, did that boy really have that super Vortex Point ability?" Kinuhata inquired to the rest of the members.

"What do you mean?" Mugino turned to face the girl beside her.

"Well in our fight earlier, he didn't use his ability even once. He even made use of a blunt weapon instead." Kinuhata said with one eye out.

"Maybe he forgot...?" With a weak and unsure voice, Hamazura tried to add to the conversation but Mugino instantly gave him a sharp glare, telling him to focus on contacting those people she had told him.

They took a brief moment to figure out the reasons behind the boy's unusual behavior.

"Maybe it was..."

Mugino broke the silence inside the car before a rip-like smile appeared on her face. _Interesting..._

The dark side made its move, slowly closing in on the young boy and the rogue android.

* * *

"It seems that due to the usage of her ability, a system dump is being performed by her main program in order to refresh her files." Nunotaba Shinobu sat in front of her computer.

Takayama Akito and Athena were now inside Nunotaba Shinobu's old office inside one of the temporary apartments she used during her time in Academy City as a researcher. The bright room had a very western style, with an old-looking book case beside a desktop computer on one side of the room, a big classic lamp on top a large desk on the farthest side, and a long coffee table surrounded by sofas in the middle.

"Isn't that supposed to be a good thing." Akito inquired as he rubbed around his right leg, checking for its condition. He was sitting in one of the sofas far away from the two.

"Her program is outdated and can't handle the stress from the usage of her Personal Reality." Nunotaba turned towards Athena who was sitting down on a chair beside her. A wire connected from the android's neck to her computer. "A dump would only revert her registers to their original state. It does not recognize the new directives she has gained as an esper so all esper related data will cause errors in the system and the process will loop infinitely unless a patch is applied which will recognize these new dire_c_tives."

"Uh-huh..." Akito understood most of what the girl explained however the complexity between an android and a regular robot were apparent from what he heard.

Akito got up and looked around the room. He needed something to keep himself calm especially in this tense situation.

_Huh?_

There were lots of peculiar books lined up on the shelves however there was one that especially caught his attention because it had no title in its binding.

Akito grabbed the book next to the book entitled "Gemstones". The book he held was written by Tsukuyomi Komoe. It's contents were a compilation of research regarding Level 0's and their possible role in the SYSTEM.

He read through the table of contents and then skimmed through half of the book at an amazing pace.

"This is the first time I've read detailed theories about Level 0's." Akito muttered as he read the book. "This person must have great interest in them. But she does make a good point though."

Akito went into deep thought as he took in the knowledge from the book.

_Logically speaking, if a subject in an experiment did not show its expected result, then it is most likely that a particular variable must have been overlooked in that experiment, assuming the experiment was free of any external interferences of course. Possible reasons for the error could have been the subject's incompatibility with the experiment or the experiment itself could have been flawed._

The young boy had researched about Personal Realities to a certain extent in the past to progress his esper level however the book he was reading contained ideas which contradicted his previous belief about Level 0's being irrelevant to Academy City's research.

_A Level 0 such as myself underwent the same Power Curriculum Program as the rest of the students in Academy City and strangely enough, there are a lot of students having trouble... Perhaps there is a greater mystery behind it all. Perhaps Level 0's are a completely different factor altogether. Just as Athena had stated before, things change depending on what perspective you take. By using that reasoning, one could say that a Level 0 is unable to learn esper abilities not because he doesn't have the ability, but because an unknown factor in this world is preventing him from doing so..._

"Interesting, isn't it?" Nunotaba Shinobu replied at the boy's remark. "Perhaps that is the direction Academy City should be focusing on instead of ones like Project ATHENA."

"Project what... ?!" Akito looked up towards the girl and saw her casually groping Athena's chest. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Athena blushed slightly, not making any movements as she assumed that this was part of her check-up.

"Oh sorry." Shinobu withdrew her hand. "This is my first time seeing a fully operational android in real life. As a researcher, I'm absolutely astounded."

Nunotaba Shinobu's expression hardly ever changes from being serious.

Akito looked at the genius girl with suspicion in his eyes before repeating his question. "What do you mean by Project ATHENA?"

Shinobu gave a brief glance at Athena, her eyes showed some sympathy to the android, before slowly turning to face the young boy. "Before I answer your question, tell me, what is your motivation for helping her? You have nothing to do with the dark side yet you are intentionally putting yourself in danger just by being near her."

"The...'dark side'?" Akito asked the girl who seemed to know a lot about the matter.

"You don't even know who you are facing up against..." Shinobu sighed before continuing. "I've met someone like you before..."

"Before, I have fought against someone who might be affiliated to this 'dark side' you are referring to so I'm not completely clueless on what is going on."

Athena stared at the two nervously. Her voice was currently undergoing erroneous bugs so she couldn't voice out her opinions.

"I guess it's pointless hiding it from you since you are already on their list."

A chill ran down his spine. He had a slight suspicion that these people from the dark side were after him but now he was completely sure based on this girl's serious expression.

Shinobu sat back down on her office chair. "... Academy City, as you may already know, is obsessed with science and technology. It keeps its public appearances neat even though its experiments are just within the boundary of human ethics, however, Academy City also takes part in activities which crosses that boundary, activities which should not be known to the public or else Academy City's image will be at risk. Activities which involve cruel human experimentation, assassination, and other criminal activity. That is the 'dark side'."

Akito silently nodded. He felt his heart beat faster after learning that his previous assumption regarding Academy City was humane compared to the real one.

"The people who are chasing you are part of that world. They are an organization from the dark side who takes direct orders from the administration. They take on missions such as protecting Academy City's darkest secrets."

"So Project ATHENA is one of those secrets?"

"Yes. But before that, prove to me that you're someone I can trust by answering my question." Shinobu stared at him coldly from her chair. "After hearing about the dark side, is your will still unchanged?"

Akito thought for a moment as he stood in the middle of the room under the bright light.

He did not have any special powers. From his experience, his fighting capability was on a laughable scale compared to those on the dark side who live their lives in constant danger. He had some talent in hacking but beyond that, he was just an ordinary Level 0.

Why was he protecting the girl knowing full well that she was not even human nor did he have the power to protect her?

What did he stand to gain by protecting her?

"I have always known that there must have been some ugly truth behind this city." The boy broke the silence in the room.

"Then is this ugly truth what you had expected? Will you save yourself the trouble and withdraw from this battle?"

"No, it was deeper and more disgusting than what I had imagined however... this city doesn't belong to the darkness alone. There are also people willing to risk their lives for someone important to them."

"Are you saying that you are one of those people?" Nunotaba Shinobu tilted her head slightly as she looked down on the young boy.

"No... I'm just a dumb kid who throws a tantrum just because of his low level. However, I have learned that there are more important things than levels or abilities." Takayama Akito stared back at the genius girl. "This is my chance to prove my worth. I don't care if you think I'm just a weak Level 0, I don't want to lose her to Academy City!"

Seeing the young boy filled with determination, Athena couldn't help but be surprised by the fact that he was willing to go so far just for a disposable machine like her.

"...I suppose it will suffice." Nunotaba Shinobu frowned. "I have been involved with a project that is vastly similar to this one. From the reports which I have stolen from the 12th Mechatronics Research Center, Project ATHENA is a plan to mass-produce disposable espers for military use. The project I previously took part in and left, involved the production of clones for a similar purpose however this project acknowledges the fact that the cultivation of clones consumes a large amount of time therefore they concluded that machines capable of psychic ability are easier to reproduce and with consistent results."

The young boy recalled Athena's earlier comment regarding the incredibly fast process of creating an advanced Artificial Intelligence, and the fact that once she was able to obtain esper abilities, the researchers only needed to copy the data from Athena's brain and install it on the later androids models.

"I returned to Academy City because the device that I have designed is being used again by the dark side."

"What do you mean?"

"The Testament machine I designed, installs information on a human's brain. However in this case, the subject receiving the input was a machine learning program embedded in Athena in order to produce a self-learning Artificial Intelligence with emotions. Also, the information recorded in the Testament and its functionality are stored within her, so I suspect she also has the ability to install information on a human's brain. You could say she is a walking Testament machine."

_Was that the reason behind her know-it-all habits? _Akito thought to himself.

"...I sent you the information I have on your pursuers. I believe they call themselves ITEM, they were also involved during the last project I dealt with."

Akito received an email on his phone which he then looked up. The phone's display showed short descriptions and pictures of the members of ITEM.

_Name: Kinuhata Saiai, Power Level: 4, Ability: Offense Armor... Name: Takitsubo Rikou, Power Level: 4, Ability: AIM Stalker... Name: Mugino Shizuri, Power Level: 5, Ability: Meltdowner... Name: Frenda Seivelun..._

_That woman from the bridge was one of Academy City's _seven Level 5's_... shit..._

"We must retrieve the program code inside the facility in order for me to create a patch for her and then delete all the existing records regarding her existence. In the meantime, I will have to take the entire module responsible for her processing her powers or else the errors that are accumulating will render her unable to move." Shinobu retrieved a thumb drive and plugged it into the computer.

"You think they will stop just from that? Won't they just repeat the experiment again?"

"I believe they expended a serious amount in this project, that is why they are doing their presentations in the Science and Liberal Arts Exhibition, to gather investors for the project. So if they come out fruitless with their fund-gathering while their only prototype and data was missing, it would spell disaster for the project altogether."

"Right." Akito returned the book back to its proper place as he waited for the girl to finish her task. He checked his phone for the current whereabouts of his pursuers but it doesn't seem that they will be reaching the three anytime soon. "We'll have to keep this up until morning. I don't think ITEM will try to make a move once there are more people around."

The three then hurriedly left the building and got into Nunotaba Shinobu's car before driving off to the 12th Mechatronics Research Center's Laboratory B in District 5.

"Oi~ Why so quiet all of a sudden~?" The boy made a wide, despicable grin as he teased the artificial girl beside him on the back seat of the car.

"L;s.d_ammk mss." Athena pouted after failing to express her thoughts into words. She then moved closer to the boy to mess with his hair in frustration, and the boy fended off the attack as a response. They looked more or less like brother and sister.

Shinobu looked at the two from the rear view mirror with uninterested eyes. "Well, is this forbidden love I am seeing? Now I understand your current situation."

"It's not what you thi- ?!"

Athena covered the boy's mouth before pushing him down on the seat. The girl smiled while she executed her revenge on the young boy.

Extremely annoyed, the boy this time pulled on the girl's cheeks painfully as he was forced down to lay on the seat. Out of nowhere the car took a quick and sudden turn.

"Waaaahhh! You idiot!" He cried out to the driver, but she was too busy looking at the road and planning out a route to take notice.

Both of them got caught up by the momentum and flew out of their positions. The two now lay jumbled over on the seat in awkward positions.

"Please save the flirting for later, Takayama." Shinobu said nonchalantly as she drove the car. "And please don't distract me while I'm driving. I only just got my license after all."

The car arrived at the street across the facility. There was an entry way for vehicles in front of the facility's main building, being blocked by a check point and a guardhouse.

It was already midnight in Academy City.

* * *

"Mugino, we have information of a strange movement around the research lab of the client." Kinuhata Saiai spoke to the girl beside her after checking the information on her phone.

"As I thought. Hamazura!"

"Y-yeah. I'm on it." Hamazura manipulated the wheel and headed for the location on the map.

* * *

Takayama Akito, Nunotaba Shinobu and Athena infiltrated the facility grounds in the darkness of the night.

Akito manipulated all the security cameras in the vicinity with his phone and set them to record the same empty scene in a loop.

They entered the facility using an ID card which Shinobu had stolen prior to their meeting.

The facility only had two floors and one basement floor which Shinobu pointed out to be their destination.

Akito continued to manipulate the security cameras as they moved along the dark empty hall way of the facility, sneaking past through security guards at every corner.

"The security here sure is tight. As expected from Academy City's research facilities." Akito connected to a security camera's live visual feed a certain distance away to scout ahead.

"Don't be careless, Takayama-kun."

They crept up slowly towards the door that will lead them to the basement floor.

Upon opening the door to the large room of the floor,

"W-what the hell?" Akito stood motionless at the sight before him.

With their feet hovering just above the floor, several life-sized figures hanged from the ceiling above through a chain attached to their bodies. A single wire twisted and wrapped around those chains like a snake.

Their appearance was drastically similar to Athena. They wore straight-jackets which she used to wore back when before she met Takayama Akito. Some of them were missing their appendages like their eyes, hair and arms.

They hanged motionless like a bunch of mannequins.

"It's this way." Shinobu led the group, unfazed by the eerie scene.

"So they made preparations ahead of time..." Akito commented as he looked at all the lifeless machines. "We may have to destroy these things afterwards. I'll secure our escape route through that emergency exit."

"Then I'll access the terminal for the program code. The process will take a bit of time to finish." Shinobu took out an external memory device from her trench coat and headed towards a large screen computer before turning it on.

Athena stared at the imperfect recreations.

If they manage to stop Academy City's plan, then she will be the only living android esper in existence however that was not was she was concerned about. Her special existence did not matter to her.

_I... I just wish to be by shishou's side. I want to walk around Academy City with him. I just want to do all sorts of enjoyable activities like eating various dishes and watching movies... I hope everything turns out well..._

"Nunotaba-san!" A worried expression can be seen on the boy's face as he approached them while holding out a smart phone in his hand. "That group from the dark side, ITEM, is heading towards the facility!"

"I have found the program but the transfer will take longer than I expected." Shinobu grew worried. She did not have her usual calm expression. "I just need a bit more time."

"Based on their displacement in the GPS, they are most likely riding on a vehicle. Will you be able to retrieve the program in time?"

"Factoring in the size of the program plus the download duration, it's barely enough..."

Akito looked around the large dim lit room. He looked towards an incomplete android dangling from a black wire. "I've got a plan... But I'll need a sample of her AIM."

"Huh?" Shinobu thought for a moment, trying to figure out the boy's intention.

"... I see. I'll help you with the installation." Shinobu took out an object from her trench coat. It was not a thumb drive holding the data of the AIM sample he was expecting, but a handgun. "You're gonna go out and delay them aren't you? If so, then you will have better chances with this." She handed the gun to him.

The cold, heavy metal caused a bit of numbness in his hands. Much to his dislike, there was no time to modify it into something that couldn't kill. Given the opportunity, he might inflict a severe wound on the enemy. He will have to remind himself to be careful.

Full of uneasiness, Athena stared nervously at the young boy.

Noticing this, he said a few words to her. "I know what you want to say. I promise this will work so trust me..."

* * *

Mugino Shizuri, Kinuhata Saiai and Takitsubo Rikou were riding inside a stolen car being driven by Hamazura Shiage.

The car was already moving past the normal speed limits of Academy City.

Suddenly, a small object hit the car's windshield with a large impact. A sudden, loud cracking noise invaded their ears as the shards of glass from the windshield burst out in front of their faces. Hamazura put his left arm in front of his face, and beside him, Takitsubo did the same. But following that, their view was replaced by a large spider crack which spread out through the surface of the windshield.

"Oh shit!" Hamazura lost sight of the road and steered blindly.

"Hamazura!"

"Waaah!"

The car shook uncontrollably and veered off its path. Thankfully, the street was completely empty so they had a low chance of colliding with another vehicle.

After getting a grip on things, Hamazura slammed down on the brakes to stop the car from moving any further. The car drifted for a bit in that dark road with only the surrounding streetlights serving as a guide, making swiveling burnt tire tracks. But the car eventually stopped just as it titled a bit to the right, and when it did, Mugino, Takitsubo, and Kinuhata wasted no time in getting out. What they saw was a girl and a blonde-haired boy holding a gun about 30 meters ahead, standing on a sidewalk on the far corner of the street.

After firing that shot, Akito quickly moved towards the nearest alley with a robot which looks just like Athena trailing behind him.

"That damn nuisance again! Takitsubo!" Mugino called out the name of their Level 4 AIM Stalker.

In response, Takitsubo wordlessly took out a small case of white powder. She lightly touched it with a finger before licking the powder.

"Beginning AIM diffusion field search." Her eyes awakened from their sleepy state.

The whole process took only about 7 seconds, and then she stated her findings.

"Vortex Point successfully recorded." Takitsubo spoke like a machine. "... Results indicate multiple Vortex Points in 4 different locations."

"W-what?"

"Is that even super possible?"

They stared at each other for a bit with shocked eyes. ITEM had given up on the assumption that the boy held the power of Vortex Point, and concluded that the android must have been the real one. So they placed the android as their target for the AIM Stalker.

"Did he have decoy transmitters prepared?!"

"What about the boy, Takitsubo-san?" Kinuhata faced the AIM Stalker.

"AIM diffusion field successfully recorded for the unknown boy. However..." The AIM Stalker paused for a minute. That short delay was an ambiguous silence, and the rest of the gang couldn't discern what it was for. "Results indicate a fluctuating field. Location will be difficult to trace."

Mugino frowned when she heard that, but there was no time to bother with every single detail. She had to follow the objective first and foremost.

"What should we do Mugino?!"

"...We split up. I will go after that brat. Hamazura and Takitsubo to one of the targets. Kinuhata and Frenda will go after the rest alone. And on that note, contact Frenda again and tell her the current situation."

ITEM proceeded with their plan to capture the android esper.

* * *

"I hope they took the bait!" Takayama Akito ran through the dark empty streets of Academy City alongside an incomplete reproduction of Athena, one of the closest ones he could get which looked like her. The android wore a white straitjacket just as the original one did before meeting him.

Without warning, multiple beams of light shot above him, piercing through the darkness of the empty night sky. They were the Particle Waveform High-Speed Cannon, Meltdowner. With a powerful and destructive blow, they hit the concrete wall of a apartment building past him. A loud crash resounded in the street.

The boy wondered if there were any people inside that building but there was no time for such idle thoughts. "Oh, crap! Looks like the troublesome one is here, but at least she's alone." He looked back behind him and saw the Level 5 closing in from a fair distance.

A small orb of green light floated around Mugino's shoulder. A split-second later, it let out a sudden burst and fired another powerful beam towards the Level 0.

Akito and the incomplete android turned towards the corner of the street to avoid the powerful beam. He heard another loud crash caused by the Meltdowner.

"Hahaha... Level 5's sure are something." A sweat drop formed on the Level 0's face. He checked the remaining ammo in his gun and saw that he had 10 shots left.

"I'm gonna kill you, you dumb fuck!" The Level 5 cried out.

Their path led them to a wide park filled with trees.

_This is good enough… _The Level 0 thought as he turned around, aimed the gun at Mugino Shizuri, and fired unhesitatingly. But the Level 5 put her hand up and produced a shield made out of electrons without much effort. Once, the bullet made contact with that shield, it disintegrated as it passed though, leaving nothing behind at the other end. It was most likely due to the electrons behaving at such a rapid state.

A sadistic smile crept up on the woman's face. It looked so horrible that it contrasted with her beautiful appearance. "Did you honestly think that a gun is enough to fight me? I'm a Level 5, you damn brat! You're nothing but a piece of trash to me, so why don't you just bow your head down and let me pierce that puny skull of yours huh?!" Her hysteric laughter was audible from everywhere in the darkness. It made an unpleasant sweat trickle down the boy's cheek.

They were now in the inner most part of the park, inside a small forest covered with tall trees. Only the bright silvery moon served as illumination for them.

Takayama Akito, whom had no special powers whatsoever, a normal Level 0, now stood face to face against the impossible, the 4th ranked Level 5, one of the strongest beings in Academy City.

It was like a small mouse fighting against a vicious lion.

His chances of winning against the Level 5 in a straight out fight were utterly close to zero, about 0.000000000001%. And this was optimistically speaking. This cruel truth was a known and proven fact to everyone in this city of hard science. There was just no way. It was a tremendously tall wall that just by looking at it face to face would send anyone into despair.

"You won't know until you try!" Akito ran towards the sides, not letting his eyes off the ridiculously strong esper.

The incomplete android stood a fair distance away from them, lifelessly staring at the two.

"Don't you realize that what you are doing here is useless?"

Four orbs of energy floated around Mugino Shizuri as she stood in the middle of the open space of the forest. The orbs fired Meltdowners consecutively at the Level 0.

Reacting just a split-second earlier, Akito gritted his teeth and leaped to the side. Just as his position changed, a beam hit his white hood and another grazed through his right shoulder, tearing his sleeve open and causing a long wound to appear.

There were also beams which passed by him and struck through the trunks of several trees, cutting them in half. Their leaves rustled wildly as they fell down to the ground.

The barrage of beams continued followed by loud explosions.

Akito continued to circle around the powerful esper as he evaded however the Meltdowners gradually got closer and closer.

Oddly enough, the boy let out a small grin as he ran around trying to dodge beams left and right.

_So this is what it's like to fight with everything you got!_

He was not confident that he could win against the Level 5 and yet at the same time, he felt that his heart was free of any other thoughts, only focusing on the goal of protecting a precious friend.

The boy was not fighting in hatred against espers or Academy City.

If it had been himself in the past that was fighting against this Level 5, he would have undoubtedly ran away without a second thought, surrendering to the most logical decision for a Level 0 such as himself. However, his current self was different. Something was welling up inside him. It was something that was overwhelmingly filled with resolve and hope.

For once, he discarded the notion of power levels in this fight. It was like the same as discarding scientific notions and just following one's desires in pure form.

The Level 0's narrowed eyes carefully observed Mugino Shizuri as he ran around her, breathless. Once she makes her move, he will counter. A shot fell down on him but he quickly leapt forward. And just as he saw the orbs stop emitting those deadly beams, his chance opened up. He fired another shot during the split-second where the orbs were preparing to fire at him again, reducing his bullet count down to 8.

The bullet was able to hit the upper part of her left shoulder. Blood splattered at the point of impact. But at the same time, a Meltdowner hit the ground beneath the boy. It felt like time had completely turned to a halt. He was unable to react in time.

A giant explosion appeared. Piles of earth from the point of impact flew to a great height.

The boy flew backwards due to the sudden explosion.

"Gaaaaahh!" Akito cried out. He fell down and hit an uneven ground with his back. A loud thud emitted from the impact.

He struggled to get up, not having the time rest, and instantly fired three shots at Mugino but this time, the Level 5 brought out her right hand to put up a shield and again, the bullets melted due to the rapid movement of electrons. His shot count went down to 5 instantly.

"Tch... This is getting real annoying." With a disgusted look, Mugino grabbed her left shoulder. "You got real lucky there, punk, but luck is scarce when your opponent can erase you in an instant while you're just crawling around on the ground like that." A stream of blood leaked out from the Level 5's shoulder, staining her dress.

The Level 0 gritted his teeth as he tried to compose himself when, suddenly, a figure dressed in a black hoodie and jeans was running towards them from a distance. The two turned their heads at the unknown person.

"Y-you idiot! Stick with the plan!" The boy grew wide-eyed at the girl's sudden appearance.

Hearing the boy's frantic reaction, Mugino looked at the newcomer clothes and then towards the incomplete android peeking from behind the tree. Their faces were the same. But from what she remembered, the android she met on the bridge wore the exact same clothes as the one that was fast approaching them.

"Hahaha! Looks like your plan has been foiled." The Level 5 laughed. "You must've turned off some part in her system to stop her from emitting AIM and to hide from Takitsubo's AIM Stalker."

Mugino Shizuri let go of her shoulder and began to collect a massive amount of electrons into an orb in her right palm. The size was far larger than anything she has gathered before. She aimed the Meltdowner down at the boy who was having a hard time standing up.

In that instant the large beam of bright green light that could bore through a naval vessel headed towards Akito.

It was game over.

The situation took a turn for the worst because the beam did not hit Akito but the android he was trying to protect. The girl wearing the black hoodie pushed the boy out of the way from the massive Meltdowner.

"!?"

The beam incinerated the android's entire body.

She could not cry out.

Every part of her was torn through by the Level 5's Meltdowner.

Akito sat there motionless, watching the horrific scene unfold in front of him.

Once the beam subsided, he could only see a large hole on the ground.

He crawled towards the hole but nothing was left of her. Not a single trace.

The boy did not move from his spot.

His expression was completely empty, like his entire soul was ripped into shreds.

"Tch... I screwed up." Mugino scratched the back of her tea-colored hair. Her mission was only to retrieve the android, not annihilate it. It was a complete failure, and she caused it with her own hands. She reached for her phone to contact Hamazura Shiage. "The mission's a bust. Call everyone back and also..." she took a quick glance at the boy before continuing. "Call the cleaners. I don't want to deal with this pathetic cockroach."

The phone snap shut.

The entranced boy did not respond or was even paying attention to what she was saying.

Mugino looked at the incomplete android standing a certain distance away before firing a quick Meltdowner.

The android fell to the ground subsequently.

Mugino turned towards the boy this time. She knew she could kill him in an instant. It was all too painfully easy. Just one beam could end his life right here and now. It was just like flipping the on and off button of a TV remote, of course, she could only do the off side. But thinking clearly now, she had taken a bullet to her shoulder. She regretted not using that last Meltdowner on this boy. It would have satisfied her. But playtime was over sadly. She decided that her wounds were more important so she did not idle any further and left the boy to his grieving.

Left alone in the darkness of the woods, the boy did not move a single fiber of his muscles.

After a while, he slowly stood up unsteadily.

"Oww!" The boy touched his back before fixing himself up. "Are 'cleaners' some kind of grunt group who do their bidding? Better hurry and get out of here then. I need to move some of the stuff in the dorm to create space for her."

The boy walked limply, taking small steps.

His phone vibrated from inside his pocket. He turned it on and brought it up to his ear.

"I've finished downloading the code. We're outside the facility now." Nunotaba spoke through the phone.

"I see. I've finished things here so I'm gonna head towards your location. By the way, how are we gonna wipe all her information from the lab's bank?"

"No need to worry. I know a certain Electromaster who specializes in this kind of thing. On a side note, Athena's anxiety is growing past its limit. In other words, she's very, very worried about you so you best be hurry."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way." The boy let out what looked like a faint smile. It was almost illusionary.

"Moreover, she wants a new set of clothes for the ones you stole from her..."

"I'm the one who paid for those! But yeah, I'll buy her new ones so calm her down..." Akito turned off the phone and left the darkness of the park.

* * *

_Things are slowly changing... Academy City looks darker now but at the same time, there's also a lot of people around me now... I have to be cautious from now on. I'm not just gonna let this dark side do whatever it wants._

Takayama Akito walked along the street towards his dorm in daylight, while holding a plastic bag. He wore a clean white shirt and pants. A bandage wrapped around the his shoulder underneath his sleeve.

In his plan against ITEM, he used several imperfect androids, installing them with Athena's AIM module, as decoys to split the group up while exploiting the information he had received on the AIM Stalker, and giving the control of the androids to Nunotaba Shinobu. But even then, he used another android as a decoy for another decoy. It was a trap hidden beneath a trap. However, whether or not he would come back alive was a total gamble for him. There was no guarantee that the group would spare him but he accepted his fate. He was prepared to die as long as his precious friend, Athena, was safe.

He made a content smile as he turned the door knob to his room.

"?"

After a moment, he stopped in his tracks after seeing several shoes at the entrance.

They were not his.

"Those freeloaders again." The young boy let out a small sigh as he walked further in but was stopped immediately at the sight of Nunotaba Shinobu and some other people he didn't knew.

"Welcome home, shishou!" Athena greeted the boy before serving tea to the guests.

"Ah! Welcome Akito-kun!" Tsuchimikado Maika worked at the kitchen doing all sorts of stuff.

"Huh?"

Saten Ruiko, Uiharu Kazari, Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto looked up at the young boy.

"Ne~ Wasn't this some sort of dorm-styled cafe?" Misaka turned towards Nunotaba Shinobu.

"Yes, it is." Shinobu smiled as she took a sip from her tea. "He is the owner of the cafe. One of his talents is his good acting skills."

"Eh~? So he performs shows here as well?" Saten Ruiko took a bite from crepe which Tsuchimikado Maika made.

"As I was saying, I met this annoying woman the other day during my patrol in the Science and Liberal Arts Exhibition." Shirai sounding displeased as she put her elbow down on the square table.

"What was she like, Shirai-san?"

The group of girls continued their idle chatter as they sat on the orange cushions around the small square table.

"Ah! There's no more tea. I must head out!" Athena rushed out of the room, brushing past the young boy.

Akito stood silently in the entry way.

Another group of people was using the boy's room as their private lunch area.

"..."

Akito stomped menacingly towards the table. He was emitting a fearsome vibe.

The girls looked up at him with puzzled and worried expressions.

What was the boy going to do to them?

Was he going to throw the strangers out of his beloved dorm room which has recently been a haven for people looking for a place to eat?

Akito gave them a brief cold hard stare before bringing forth the plastic bag.

"... I brought cake."

* * *

**END AN:**

**I'm currently working to improve my writing. I know it's very sloppy so I really appreciate the feedback if you guys find anything I can improve on!**

**To be honest, I didn't put much thought into Takayama Akito's name. I just took the surname of "Takayama" from Railwars because that character was wasted in that "all-fanservice-and-no-plot" anime, and then I took "Akito" because he was my favorite character in Air Gear but when I looked up the translation for the name, it turned out that it meant "Satisfaction", pretty ironic considering his attitude back in the previous chapters.**

**EOF.**


	11. A Certain Unscientific Love Affair

**Yep you guessed it right, it's a filler chapter~ but an exciting one~**

**I think I have improved since my first chapter and it's all thanks to all of your encouragements! So here's hoping for feedback and reviews(seriously though I love reading reviews)**

**This chapter occurs before the English Civil War.**

* * *

**Chapter 11 - A Certain Unscientific Love Affair.**

* * *

"Shishou..." Athena spoke with a quiet voice towards the young boy with blonde hair in front of her.

"Hm?" The boy turned around and saw Athena's big sky blue eyes filled with yearning. There were some tears that hanged at the edges of her eyes.

"Shishou... I..." Her voice trembled a bit. "I... I love you!" The artificial girl gathered all her courage into those three words. She finally expressed her feelings towards the young boy whom she had always looked on with keen eyes ever since they first met.

Back when she was being tutored at her facility in order to invoke her esper ability, she did not understand the meaning of the words 'happiness', 'sadness', 'anger', 'hatred' or 'love'. Her head was only filled with various branches of knowledge such as Calculus, Theoretical Physics, Philosophy, World History, Linguistics and Chemistry. However, the Testament machine that was integrated in her brain also gave her the gift of curiosity and empathy along with those knowledge. As time went on, she began to grow curious of all these things that were being subtly mentioned in her lessons.

One of the reasons she began her quest was the researchers that monitored her development. One time, she did not go to her sleeping pod in order to 'shut down' and instead, sneaked around the entire facility.

From afar, she listened to the casual conversations of two security guards during one of their patrols. Their conversations were full of heated arguments about an epic baseball game.

She watched little children belonging to one of the scientists playing tag around the lobby area.

And finally as she walked along the dark halls of the building, she noticed the door to one of her usual lecture rooms.

The door was slightly ajar and a faint light came from within.

She curiously peeked through the small slit and saw her tutor, a female just like her, sitting on a chair facing right, and another person whom she recognized as a researcher for a different project. The researcher was of the opposite sex, a male. She wondered what the two were doing being so awfully close together.

The researcher was behind her tutor and was wrapping his arms around her. His hands gently wrapping his arms around her body through her clothes.

The tutor and the man were embracing each other. Athena watched the two during their passionate action that lasted for two whole minutes. It was called 'kissing' is what the information stored in her computerized brain told her.

Athena felt an unusual sensation well up in her. She blushed a deep red as she felt several mixed emotions that she could not identify. It was the first time that she had experienced such a wild and intense feeling.

She left afterwards and returned to her sleeping pod. She recounted the experiences she went through today, as usual, as she gradually went into a state of hibernation: The jeering and arguing of the security guards. The smiles and laughter of the children. And most of all, the intimate interaction between the male and the female.

What is this world that she lives in?

What are human beings and why do they do what they do?

What are 'feelings'?

Not able to hold down her curiosity any longer, she left the facility in order to search for her answers.

"...I know I am not human..." Athena spoke nervously, gripping her hands tightly. "...and there may be nothing that will happen between us but... but I-"

"Don't be stupid."

The girl looked up in surprise. _Did I go too far? Is shishou disgusted that a machine like me is confessing its feelings to him?_

Before she could brace herself for the hurtful words of rejection, the young boy said something completely unexpected.

"... You have always been in my mind ever since we first met, I have always, always dreamed of us staying together forever... so much that it crushes me when I think that you do not see me that way."

"No! I would never-"

Akito pulled the girl closer to him and grabbed her shoulders before she could utter anything else.

"S-shishou!?" Athena blushed heavily. She could not follow the sudden turn of events. The boy was being overly aggressive. It was a side of him that she didn't knew.

"I can't hold it in anymore..." The boy looked at Athena's moist lips. His expression was like that of a starving wolf, wanting to claim the delicious things for himself.

The girl was in a state of confusion. She wanted to resist the boy's advances however a part of herself did not. That part desired for this to happen, to experience the interaction between a male and a female.

"It's okay right?"

Athena felt the boy's arms wrapping around her thin body, clutching tightly onto her waist and shoulders. She cannot get away.

The boy leaned in closer inch by inch. Their faces were so close she could feel his warm breath.

Her artificial heart pounded wildly under her chest. Her face was a deep shade of red. Her mind was in a complete daze as she could only think of the boy she was in love with. Finally she was in the same position as her tutor. Finally she was going to experience that intense feeling for herself.

Her breath grew weak as she opened her mouth to welcome the boy's lips. She was finally about to experience heaven for herself but sadly, it was not true.

"Hey~! Breakfast is ready!"

The wonderful scene faded in front of her eyes. She heard a familiar voice calling her back to the real world. After a second, her eyes opened lazily.

The bright morning sun penetrated the dorm's windows and blinded her for a moment.

"Nnnhh..." Athena rubbed her eyes and saw the boy that was in her dreams wearing blue shorts and a blue apron that hung over his white shirt. "Good morning.." She mumbled, still half asleep.

"Yeah. Good morning!" Akito focused hard as he slowly moved a frying pan containing sunny side up eggs closer towards two plates on the square table. A sausage with several burn marks lay on top of each plate. He distributed the two eggs to each of the plates and sighed in exhaustion after finishing. It has been a while since he had to cook so he was out of practice with preparing meals.

Before Athena became a resident of this dorm, the boy usually ate outside in fast food restaurants or just ate instant cup ramen but now the two decided to create a schedule on who will cook breakfast, clean the bathroom, do the groceries and other chores.

Athena got up, stretched her arms and sluggishly moved towards the small brown table. She was wearing light blue pyjamas that seemed to be popular among middle school girls. Her eyes were half open.

"Hm? What's up?" The boy sat down in front of Athena and noticed her staring at him as he put his hands together to say 'Itadakimasu.'

"It's nothing." The girl closed her eyes and clasped her hands together as well. "You just woke me up from a pleasant dream is all."

_Do androids even dream?_ Akito pondered one of the greatest questions of every computer scientist as he grabbed his knife and fork.

Athena stole several short glances at the young boy while he was cutting his meal into bits and pieces. The morning sunlight reflected on his blonde hair, making it a shiny gold color. Flocks of fluffy hair stuck out amusingly around his head. Last night, she listened to him talk about how cooking was such a pain but in the end, he tried his very best. Her heart was overjoyed by how cute the boy was.

"It's amazing how you can convert the nutrients in the food into energy for your system." The boy paying more attention on the food than who he was speaking to. "Those scientists really outdid themselves in making you close to being human."

That was not the kind of topic the girl was eager to dive into.

"..." Displeased of where the conversation was going, Athena munched on the salty egg. _Ahh of course. He only ever thinks of me as an amazing piece of technology and not a woman. I may not be human but I look just like any normal girl. The least he could do is ask how I was doing..._

"Alan Turing was right. Once a computer reaches an extremely high level of complexity and able to make conversations, you won't be able to distinguish it from a regular human."

It only took the girl 2 minutes to finish her breakfast. She then got up to clean her plate and utensils, completely ignoring the boy while he was still eating.

"What's wrong? Was I mistaken somewhere?" Akito raised his brow in puzzlement, completely oblivious of what the girl was thinking.

Athena moved towards the closet to get some clothes before heading towards the bathroom. The door closed with a loud bam.

_Is she angry that I ate her hamburgers? _Akito finally finished eating.

He washed all the remaining tableware while Athena was taking a shower. After placing the last plate unto the rack, he consumed a pill and went towards his desk where he took out his homework and several reference books.

"Let's see... where was I again?" He flipped through the pages of the reference book as he spun his pen around his thumb.

It was October 12. There were no classes today so he decided to finish all the stuff he had left undone during the many hectic events that had occurred around him.

After several minutes, Athena got out of the steam-filled bathroom. She was now wearing the light-blue hoodie which the boy picked out for her and flesh-colored khaki pants. Her bright, straight ginger hair was still a bit wet. She saw the boy studying in front his desk with his back towards her. _Not that I... wanted to get his attention anyway... _

Since the day they started living together, she hoped that their relationship would grow into something. But in actuality, she felt that their distance grew instead. Even though she was not actually a human girl, the boy decided on his own to sleep on a futon near the kitchen instead of sleeping beside her on the bed that was originally his. She mistook the gesture as a polite way of giving her space. It was actually the boy being conscious of her assets as a girl. As a result, she grew anxious that it lessened her opportunities to snuggle up to him.

"Shishou, I'll be going out for a while..." Athena walked towards the door quietly before taking her black sandals from the entrance.

"Hm..? Okay." The boy still working on his homework. "Oh right, I'll be going out as well later so I'll probably not be here for lunch..." He turned around and saw the girl had already left. _She must be reeaally mad about those burgers._

After finishing his homework which only took about 10 minutes, he reached down to his desk's drawers and retrieved several papers and notes. He put his research notes on espers aside and placed a handful of papers regarding Project ATHENA on his desk.

He had worked together with Shinobu and Athena to put a stop to the plan of Academy City's 12th Mechatronics Laboratory in developing artificial espers for military use. He also fought against ITEM and nearly died if not for the carelessness of the Level 5, Mugino Shizuri. It was all for the sake of Athena's freedom that he put himself in so much danger. He wanted to save her with all his might just as his friends had saved him during the conflict with REBEL.

Now Shinobu had to return to her work away from Academy City and Akito was left with the responsibility of taking care of Athena and tying up the loose ends of their plan of sealing the project for good. Although he still wonders why Athena didn't just go with Shinobu to begin with since she will definitely be safer with her than here in Academy City.

"Let's see..." Akito scanned the news and reports he had compiled himself. "This company had gone bankrupt right after the SLA Exhibition so their agreement with the laboratory has been cut off..." He flipped another page. "I interfered with this one's transaction and distributed the funding to multiple homes for Child Errors... " The boy continued his thorough analysis of the situation inside his dorm room.

For the past few days, he scanned through the entire web for any rumors or news about the project. He made sure that not a single whiff of news or even the slightest detail pass him. That was how determined he was in protecting the android's freedom.

"Well I guess that's that." The boy returned all the documents to their rightful place. "All that's left is to meet up with that information broker..."

"Huh? What's this?" After taking a shower and getting dressed in his usual white hoodie with a big X-mark design and jeans, he noticed a small frog-like character attached to a strap that was lying on the floor at one corner of the room. "Must've belong to one of those people that came into my room recently." He put the strap in his pocket and got out of the dorm.

Academy City was its usual peaceful self, completely different from the nightmarish ones he remembered where he fought to the death. The weather was so clear and not a single cloud in sight. The various students in Academy City continued on with their daily routines.

Akito casually walked along the streets, not paying much attention to his surroundings and thinking instead of his next move after confirming that Project ATHENA was indeed discontinued.

He reached the station of the monorail and stood on the platform with his head down, completely immersed in his thoughts as he waited for the train to arrive.

A person walked up to him and lightly tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "Yo! What are you doing here, Takayama? Happily spending the free time you have?" The person made a wide grin.

No reaction came from the young boy. He just stood there like a statue.

"Oi! Earth to Takayama!" The wide grin faded from the face of the stranger.

Still, the boy was completely lost in thought.

From out of nowhere, the stranger delivered a hand chop to the young boy's head.

"Ow! What's your problem?" Akito grabbed his head to quell the pain. "Huh? Oh it's just you."

" Geez! What kind of greeting is that? " A girl with amber eyes and a long pony-tail put her hands to her hips. "And why were you just spacing there like an idiot anyway?"

She was Tatemiya Haruka. His old classmate from middle school, before he moved to Academy City, as well as the strongest esper in his entire school.

"Huh? Oh it's nothing... just thinking about stuff. Are you on Judgment duty?" Akito noticed the girl was wearing her Judgment armband on her right shoulder. The sleeves of her school uniform's white dress shirt were folded despite the cold weather. Only her red necktie could be considered protection from the cold.

"Yeah! I'm on my way to the office right now." Haruka noticed the boy's tired expression. "What's wrong with you? You look like you just pulled out an all-nighter."

"It's nothing. Just did some studying last night." Akito lied to the girl. He was actually searching the web for information about Project ATHENA. And the fact that he was still adjusting to sleeping in a futon.

The technological train arrived on the platform after a few minutes. It's white walled doors opened swiftly and the cold air went out. The two entered the train and sat down next to each other.

_He doesn't have to push himself so hard just to pass Level 0... _The pony-tailed girl looking concerned over her middle-school rival. "Hey... you shouldn't overwork yourself so much..."

"Huh?" Confused, the boy looked up towards Haruka.

"You know... with becoming an esper and all."

"Ohh right. Noted."

The girl let out a worried expression at the boy's relaxed response.

Suddenly, they boy said something unexpected to the Level 4 esper. "...Do you remember why you came here in Academy City and became an esper? Don't tell me you just followed me here."

"Hahaha! Of course not!" Eyes twitching, a sweat drop formed on the young girl's forehead. "Everyone knows that being an esper helps you find work easier when you enter the real world!"

"Uh huh..."

"How about you..?"

"I just wanted to see what it's like to have those amazing powers. Even just a tiny sliver of it." Akito slowly stretched out his hand towards the visible landscape of Academy City from the transparent window of the train.

There was a hidden power inside everyone is what he thought before he moved to Academy City. He believed that power will bring excitement to his mundane life and make him stand above the rest.

He couldn't stand a single second without having it.

He pushed himself to the limits, desperately chasing after that mysterious existence.

Anything for the sake of achieving even just a small bit of that power.

"But now I think that someone who wants to become an esper shouldn't have such juvenile thoughts so I'm not so sure anymore." Closing his hand into a fist, he grabbed nothing but the air inside the train.

"I see..."

"If I had arrived at Academy City, became an esper and got carried away with that power, I might've end up turning against you, Atsuchi and Tsuyuri-san. I might've tried using it to hurt other people as well." Akito looked down at his feet. "That thought kind of scares me a bit. So I'm honestly not sure if I am able enough to become an esper."

"... Hmph! Don't underestimate me boy!" Haruka puffed her chest up. "I'll take you on any time. I don't care how strong you would've become, I'll put you down in a heartbeat! After all, I'm stronger than you think I am!"

"..." The boy paused for a bit before covering his mouth and restraining himself from laughing.

"O-oi! What's wrong with that?!"

"...No, no you're right." The boy wiped a bit of tear in his eye. "Why am I worrying when we have the great Level 4 here?"

"Damn straight! I'll knock some sense into you when that time comes so don't cry your eyes out!"

"Haha... You're right... You're a really strong esper after all. It won't take long for you to become Level 5." Akito smiled. "Because of how you never stop moving forward, only looking at what's right in front of you, you became so strong in such a short amount of time after arriving in Academy City. That's how you have always been. I envy that side of yours..."

"W-what's gotten into you suddenly?!" The pony-tailed Level 4 esper turned slightly red. "Who are you and what have you done with that brat?!"

"It's true you know. I really do think you can become a Level 5 with a bit more effort." Akito looked away for a moment. _Take it from someone who fought one and nearly died. If Nunotaba-san wasn't so good in using my other phone to control all those androids, I would have been completely turned into dust._

"Seriously, what's gotten into you?!" Haruka frantically shook the boy on his shoulders, a piece of his soul was about to escape. "The brat that I know of wouldn't be so supportive or as mature as this! You would always go about bragging that you didn't have a hard time in exams and you always laugh at me whenever I screw up during the Power Tests!"

"What?! I don't remember doing such things!"

"You were such a pain in the ass! I really held myself back from charring you every time we met!" The girl clenched her fist tightly. A cross shaped vein can be seen on her forehead.

The train was beginning to slow down as it was arriving the next station.

"Well, I guess I don't mind this new you." The girl stood up and turned to face Akito. "Don't forget that I'll be here when you stop idling and finally become a Level 5... Until then, I'll be waiting." Grinning, she brought her hand out to the young boy in the form of a fist.

Akito was taken aback for a second by the pony-tailed girl's words. "... Yeah!" The boy bumped his fist with the girl before she got off the train to head towards her Judgment office.

* * *

There was a rumor among the girls attending middle school and high school, that a mysterious figure who claims to be the Love Master often frequents a certain family restaurant near a certain hospital in District 7. The rumored Love Master gives out advice to whoever approaches her without any compensation. Those who follow the advice exactly as the Love Master told them to will conquer the heart of their significant other, 90% guaranteed.

Athena walked around the streets looking for the rumored family restaurant and attracting the attention of several students.

After a while, she found the restaurant and just as the rumor said, it was near a hospital. She entered it without hesitation and began her search for the Love Master.

She looked around the interior for anyone who might be the Love Master and saw a girl with short brown hair and wearing industrial goggles, sitting all by herself near the window of the restaurant. Full of determination, she approached the girl.

"Are you the so-called 'Love Master'?" She stood beside the girl. Her eyes did not show any embarrassment at what she just said.

The brown haired girl looked at her with blank eyes for a while before giving her reply. "Who wants to know? asks Misaka #19090 as she tries to hide her joy after finally saying that cool line."

"Please, I need your help!" Athena pleaded, bowing in front of the Love Master.

"... Then, please have a seat, says Misaka #19090 after noticing your struggle." The Misaka clone gestured over to the seat in front of her. "So, what seems to be the problem? asks Misaka #19090 as she takes a good look at you."

Athena sat down and placed her hands on the wide table. "Well... you see... "

At the same time,

"Huh?" A Misaka Mikoto noticed something missing in her pocket. "No... nonononono where is it?! It must be here somewhere!"

She rummaged the pockets of her winter uniform of the prestigious Tokiwadai Middle School. She then took out her wallet and checked its contents but the thing she was looking for was not there.

It was her favorite and most prized possession. She had dozens of Gekota merchandise stored in her room but that one was very precious.

_Think, THINK! Retrace your steps! Let's see I went to that restaurant and met up with #19090 but I think it fell even before then so... _The Ace of the prestigious Tokiwadai middle school, also known as the Level 5 Railgun, rubbed her temples, desperately trying to recall when did she left that precious object.

She blindingly walked onwards on the peaceful sidewalk as she tried to recall where she drop her precious Gekota strap.

Suddenly, after reaching the corner of the street, she bumped into someone.

"Ah sorry about that." The spiky haired boy looked down and saw a familiar face. "Huh? Misaka?"

The girl looked up after hearing that voice. "W-what are you doing here?!" She blushed slightly as she pulled away from the boy.

"Well, this and that happened hahaha..." Kamijou Touma made a sheepish smile as he scratched his cheek.

"W-well anyway, you're gonna help me." Without warning, Misaka Mikoto tugged on the boy's sleeve and dragged him towards a certain direction.

"W-wait! We just bumped into each other! Where are you taking this humble and innocent Kamijou-san who did nothing wrong?!"

Just like that, the unfortunate high school boy got dragged into something he was not expecting.

Meanwhile inside the certain family restaurant where a love consultation is being held,

"Hmph. what took you so long?" Shirai Kuroko with her elbow unto the table, looking displeased.

"Sorry, sorry." Musujime Awaki sat on the seat opposite of the twin-tailed Judgment officer. "Did you wait long?"

"Do not make me say those stupid words: 'No, I just got here'! I only came here after all because a brute like you needs to learn her lesson!"

In a calm and almost amused manner, Musujime Awaki spoke "I see, I see." She then put her hand up to get the waitress's attention.

* * *

Takayama Akito walked along the streets of District 7.

He was currently on a mission to gather information on Project ATHENA by meeting up with an information broker.

The boy took a sudden turn around the corner and entered the dark alley in front of a family restaurant.

"Hey! long time no see, Takayama. How are Shin and Mikoshiba these days?" A girl with a slightly muscular build with long orange hair tied up in a high pony tail, and wearing a Kirigaoka Girls' Academy uniform stood to greet the young boy.

"Don't know. Don't care. Let's quit with the chitchat shall we?" The boy with a serious tone. "You're from _that side _aren't you? I could feel it from your presence and your connection with those guys."

"... Hahaha! So what if I am?" Yamazaki Maya laughed heartily at the innocent boy's inquiry.

The boy collected his thoughts.

He was aware that there are different people who are working on the dark side from what Nunotaba Shinobu said further after their conflict with ITEM. Each individual on the dark side had their own reason for working there. For example, they may have been forced because they were being blackmailed by someone who is already working on the dark side. Perhaps they were in desperate need of money. Or they were illegal aliens that hid inside Academy City and had to work for a dark side organization in order to maintain their residence, and their life.

"Have you heard the name Project ATHENA before?"

"Pro'ly." The girl shrugged nonchalantly.

"Regarding that, I need whatever information you have." Akito unfazed by her uncaring attitude.

Amused by the boy's desperation, Maya slowly brought her hand out. "It'll cost ya." A wide grin formed on her lips.

The boy took several small chunks of paper from his hoodie's pocket and placed it on the girl's hand.

The girl happily took the lumps of paper but stopped suddenly after noticing that what she received was not money but something else. "Oi! What the hell is this?!" She held out the stuff to the young boy.

"Redeemable coupons for electronic gaming currency. Those things are worth 30,000 yen." The boy spoke with a straight face.

Maya blankly stared at the things for a minute and then, "HAHAHAHAHA! Oh man, this is rich!"

There was a certain standard in the dark side. Information was a very valuable thing. A single tiny detail could determine the life and death of a person, a company's fortune or the result of a war. So in the dark side, information is costly and a lot of people stake their lives on it. The price could range up to billions of yen. For Maya, what she just received today was the funniest, most unthinkable object to use in exchanging for information for a top secret Academy City project. If she were to give an estimate for the actual price of the information, it would be around 8 million yen.

She laughed for quite a while. Her hands were on her sides as the continuous laughter began its effects on her body. That was how comical the boy's actions were.

"You know, kid." Maya finally coming back to her senses. "In the dark side, we don't play around with these kinds of stuff. Heck, I might even try to kill you just because you contacted me for information just in case you were a spy."

Akito gulped, sensing the change in atmosphere around the girl. _Have I been too careless? I should've scanned the area beforehand for security robots._

"But, man, this is one of those situations where you can't help but not get mad at the guy." She wiped the tears out of her eyes after having such a comical laughter. "So, to reward you for giving me such a good laugh today, I'll give you a bit of a hint..."

Inside the family restaurant,

"... I see. Although it is a bit embarrassing, that point of attack is crucial in dealing significant damage to him." Athena rubbed her chin as she pondered Misaka #19090's suggestion.

"Misaka thinks we are facing similar problems, says Misaka #19090."

"I-I don't think I have the capacity to do that yet... My brain's circuits will get burnt by doing so."

The two exchanged ridiculous ideas one after another. Some included over the top feats such as the infamous 'naked apron'.

"You should take advantage of your figure, suggests Misaka #19090 as she assess your body and compares it with hers but changes her mind in the last second."

Athena smiled and laughed at the girl's ridiculous comments but suddenly, for no reason at all, she looked out through the window of the family restaurant as she took a sip of her hot tea.

There wasn't anything particular on the street but she had a feeling that she had to inspect the surroundings with detail. She looked towards the alley in front of the restaurant with her enhanced android eyes.

She saw two people. One of them was Takayama Akito, the very reason why she was here having a consultation about love, and the other was a girl wearing a uniform that she recognized from Kirigaoka Girls' Academy.

She stared at them with blank eyes. There was no reason why she should react to the scene, absolutely no reason at all. For all she knew, the girl was asking directions inside a dark alley where no one could interrupt them...

She moved the white cup away from her lips and gently put it down while watching them.

Gently.

Gently.

Gently.

Just as the cup made contact with the table, both table and cup inadvertently smashed into pieces by her robotic strength.

Misaka #19090 silently looked on as she saved her own tea cup from the destruction.

Without a single word, she rushed away from the Love Master and the restaurant. From across the street, she brought her left hand out towards the young boy in the alley and activated her ability, Vortex Point.

"... I see. It seems that things have begun to settle down now." Takayama Akito faced the older high school girl from the Dark Side. "Thanks a lot. I'll pay you back somehow- Huh?" The young boy felt a tugging sensation coming from his back, like someone pulling on his clothes. After a second, his feet left the ground and got sucked in by an unknown source. "Uwaaaahh!"

Maya stared wide eyed at the scene as her client got dragged away by some mysterious force. "Looks like things just got troublesome. I'll have to take my leave." Noticing the source of the mysterious phenomenon, she turned towards the other direction and began to walk away.

Akito flew through the streets straight into the family restaurant.

In the next instant, the young boy slowed down and then was grabbed from behind by a teenage girl with ginger hair and sky blue eyes.

"Shishou, with all my might, I will protect you from all these interlopers." Athena spoke with an ominous robotic tone.

"W-wha? What are you doing here?!"

"Please hold on tightly..." Athena gathered strength into her legs. Her rotors, gyroscopes, axis drivers and other robotic components which controlled her movements all did their necessary calculations and adjustments. There was a small metallic sound coming from inside her body.

Before Akito could react, he and the artificial human shot upwards into the air above the family restaurant.

* * *

"So, we are looking for one of your frog toys again?" Kamijou Touma with a tired expression.

"It's not just some frog toy, it's Gekota!" Misaka Mikoto tightly grasped the boy's arm as she led him around the street. Although she has been saying some harsh words to the high school boy, she was actually kind of happy that she bumped into him. She didn't understand why, only that she felt secured being with him.

"It must be really tough being a middle school girl." The spiky haired boy sighed.

Surprised by the sudden change of topic, "What do you mean?" Misaka tilted her head slightly.

"Well," The boy rubbed his head. "You are always being asked to go to all those different labs right? Even though you are so young, everyone is expecting so much from you."

"W-well, I'm a Level 5 after all so," Misaka looked away for a bit and then continued. "I need to work hard, not just for them or myself but for my parents as well!"

"Hahaha you are really dependable, aren't you?" The boy let out a wide grin.

"Of course I am! So enough chatting and just walk with me. Keep an eye out for anything-"

Misaka Mikoto suddenly remembered something very important. She recalled the conversation that she overheard from the boy's phone during the time when the boy asked about the current situation in Avignon.

"H-hey you-" She turned to face the boy but saw him looking at a certain direction so she followed his line of sight and then,

"Misaka!" Turning to face Misaka, Touma pointed towards the young the boy being kidnapped by a girl in front of a family restaurant.

"Right, leave it to me!" Misaka Mikoto used her ability as an Electromaster and generated electricity from her body. Using the electric current to magnetize herself, she shot upwards with amazing speed towards a metallic structure.

She grabbed hold of a metal railing of a small billboard on top of the small grey apartment building beside the family restaurant. But then she realized that Kamijou Touma will not be able to keep up with her so she looked down towards him to say something but,

"I'll be fine!" The spiky haired boy shouted from down below on the street. "I'll catch up somehow!"

"Then," Misaka Mikoto grinned and turned towards the kidnapper. "I guess I can go all out!"

The android aimlessly leapt from building to building using her highly advanced robotic body.

Takayama Akito shouted, "Where are you taking me?!" The cold wind blew on his face as he was being carried bridal style by the android girl.

She looked towards the distance unemotionally.

"I will not let anyone take you away from me." Without the boy noticing, Athena pointed the finger of her right hand towards his face. Green-colored gas leaked out from the tip and blew towards the young boy.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!"

A second later, Akito was met with an extreme wave of drowsiness.

"Why...am I... suddenly so...slee...zzzzzz"

Akito's eyes shut tight before beginning his journey to the land of sleep.

"Sleep for a while, shishou. I'll take care of the rest." The girl let out a gentle smile towards the sleeping boy.

Suddenly, the android girl heard a loud voice from behind her.

"Hey! What are you doing to that boy?!" Mikoto shouted as she caught up to the android's speed.

Several people who were walking down on the sidewalks saw the spectacle. They watched the amazing stand off for a while before shrugging it off and then continuing with their business.

"Intruder detected." Athena spoke with a robotic tone. She pointed her left hand towards the Level 5 and fired machinegun bullets which came out from the 3 small barrels that appeared on the back of her hand. "It was a good thing that Shinobu-san provided me with ammo for self-protection."

A barrage of bullets rained down at the Level 5 Railgun.

"W-what the hell?! Are you some kind of Terminator?!"

Mikoto generated a wave of electricity from her bangs and shot it forwards to intercept the bullets.

The bullets exploded as they came in contact with the Level 5's attack.

"Switching attack pattern to esper mode." Athena spoke again with a robotic tone. She stopped the barrage of bullets and instead, opened her left hand as she activated her power, Vortex Point.

Being a subset of her ability as an Electromaster, Mikoto used magnetism to increase the distance of her jumps to each building by attracting herself to metallic objects just like the railing from earlier.

Suddenly a feeling like someone was pulling her, similar to her magnetism, covered Mikoto's right side.

In the next instant, the Level 5 esper was pulled towards a radio tower about 10 meters away by an invisible force. Once her right shoulder made contact with the tower, the feeling disappeared and she fell down on top the rooftop of a certain building.

"Ouch!" The Level 5 esper rubbed her shoulder to ease the pain. Thankfully, she used her magnetism to pull herself into the opposite direction before the impact so the force that was pulling her from before was reduced. " This is troublesome. I can't use any attacks on her, especially my Railgun, because I might hit that boy. My only hope is to somehow get past her and snatch the boy away..."

The two continued their explosive mid-air battle over the several districts of Academy City. The cat and mouse chase continued for over an hour.

"Dammit , when are you going to give up?!" Slightly out of breath, Misaka Mikoto faced the android esper on a children's park back at District 7.

"I will protect shishou with my life!" With a dead serious expression, Athena pointed her left hand at Mikoto as she held Akito with her right. Suddenly, she noticed something familiar about the girl. "Wait. Are you not...?"

Suddenly, several a chain of footstep could be hear from the distance.

"Misaka!" Extremely exhausted, Kamijou Touma arrived at the scene and moved beside Mikoto. "Are you alright?!"

The spiky haired boy had been running around Academy City, desperately trying to catch up with the two girls.

"What are you doing here Love Master?"

That sudden voice caught the attention of the two. They both tilted their heads in confusion.

"Why are you chasing me Love Master? I thought you advised me to increase my advances?!" Athena aimed her plea at the confused middle schooler from Tokiwadai.

"E-ehh? What are you talking about?!"

"I think she means you, Misaka." The spiky haired pointed his finger towards Mikoto.

"Did she meet my clone or something?! What does she mean by 'Love Master'?!" Mikoto whispered. The Level 5 grew confused with each passing second.

"Please tell me how I should effectively convey my feelings to him!" A bit of desperation hung over Athena's voice.

"What? Are you asking me?!" Mikoto looked over at the boy which the mysterious girl was carrying. _Ah! She must be meaning to confess to that boy! Wait, where have I seen him before?_

Misaka Mikoto thought hard on what she was going to say.

"... Well, I guess you should just tell it to him straight. I mean you just gotta go all out you know-" She inadvertently moved her gaze towards Kamijou Touma. Her face turned into a very deep shade of red.

"Hehhh so you really are a master of love huh, Misaka?" Touma grinned at the girl beside him.

"S-S-SHUT UUUUUUUUP!"

Suddenly, Mikoto was enveloped by a large current of electricity.

"O-oi! Why are you so angry all of a sudden?!" The spiky haired boy took a step back away from the girl.

Without warning, the Number 3 Level 5 of Academy City shot spears of electricity towards the spiky-haired boy. The boy guarded with his right hand's ability, Imagine Breaker.

"Nnnn..." Takayama Akito slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? Where am I?"

" S-Shishou!" Athena let go of the boy and blushed slightly.

"Was I asleep? How did we get here?" Confused, the blonde haired boy looked around his surroundings.

"W-well, it's a really long story." The android girl looked away nervously. She was unable to explain that she used sleeping gas on him as well as planning to take him away to some faraway place where they could be alone.

"Huh? Isn't that Kamijou and the girl who went to our room recently?"

"U-umm about what happened, well there were enemies and you were cornered in an alley..." The girl muttered silently but the boy was not listening.

Akito silently walked towards the Level 5 esper, not minding all the electricity coming out of her as she attacked the spiky haired boy. "Hey! Is this yours?" He pulled out the strap with a frog character which he found earlier and tossed it over to Mikoto.

Noticing the young boy's call, Mikoto stopped her attacks to receive the object that he tossed over to her.

" This is it! This is the Lovely Mitten Gekota strap I've been looking for!" The girl exclaimed as she took a good look at the phone strap. "Where did you find it?"

"I found it at my dorm. Figured you dropped it when you were with your friends during that time." Akito shrugged.

"Huh? Misaka, you've already met Takayama?" Touma moved in closer after determining that it was safe to approach the two.

"You two know each other?!"

"We're neighbors." Akito stated plainly.

"Speaking of which, shishou. Who was that girl in the alley?" Athena crept up from behind.

"Ehh? W-well that's uhh... classified information!"

"..." An ominous aura surrounded the android.

Meanwhile from the other side of the group,

"So this is where you were, onee-sama." Shirai Kuroko teleported from behind Mikoto.

"Kuroko? Where have you been all this time?"

"W-well there was some business I had to attend to. Nothing important." Shirai looked away and inadvertently saw the spiky haired boy. "O-onee-sama, what are you doing with this brute?!"

The misunderstandings continued to pile on top of one another.

There were loud explosions, vending machines suddenly appearing and surges of electricity being fired. After a while, the commotion caught the attention of Judgment and Anti-Skill.

Unbeknownst to him, the mundane life that Takayama Akito wanted to escape from had already been left in the dust.

...

**From Akito's esper research notes:**

Name: Atsuchi Tomoya

Ability: Clairvoyance. The ability uses formulas similar to Teleporters which are based on concepts revolving Schrodinger's paradox. The success of the ability, which is to see through opaque objects, depends on the width and the material of the object being subjected to the Clairvoyance.

Power Level: 3

Description: Possible pervert and stalker. Must keep away. Has an addiction to comedy skits.

...

Name: Tatemiya Haruka

Ability: Flare Cloak. Pyrokinetic-variant. Rapidly increases the movement of molecules around her in a 60 meter radius through Telekinesis. She is able to compress the thermal radiation caused by her power into spheres which can explode when released or just release a scorching heatwave around her. Temperature threshold can reach up to 1602 degrees Celsius. Her powers have different usages so she can adapt easily in many different situations.

Power Level: 4

Description: A hardworker. Reckless. Often gets lost due to her lack of sense of direction. Is really bad with technology.

...

Name: Tsuyuri Aki

Ability: Deja vu. Precognition-type. Able to send her memories to a certain point in the past after coming into contact with a "Checkpoint". A special phenomenon, similar to interference, occurs when her AIM diffusion field comes into contact with other espers(known as "Checkpoints") and their AIM, including me. Her powers can only activate once she reaches a state of unconsciousness or sleep. She is still unable to fully control her power so her powers may or may not activate without her knowing it.

Power Level: 3

Description: Often hangs out with Tatemiya. Timid but extremely kind. Dislikes small insects.

...

Name: Athena

Ability: Vortex Point. Base Telekinetic-type. Based from our test results, she can pull objects or people into a certain point in a 23 meter radius around it like a magnet. Distance from the point to her is about 37 meters. Totaled weight of the objects being influenced by the power can sum up to 240 kg. All calculations are pure estimations of course since there is no power development institute analyzing her powers.

Power Level: 4

Description: Likes to debate about complicated subjects. Hamburgers seems to be her favorite food.

...

Name: Takayama Akito

Ability:

Power Level: 0

Description:

...

* * *

**Welp look forward to next chapter! I promise it's gonna be something unexpected and also please giff review T.T**

**My stuff is also going to be released once per week now due to work so apologies for my tardiness.**


	12. Doubt

**Sorry for the late submission!**

**I've been real busy with my work these couple of days but now I finally have some time to write for the next chapters.**

**I'll probably be fixing some embarrassing grammatical mistakes in the previous chapters as well.**

**Anyway, I don't think I should say too much about this chapter so I'll just leave it up to you guys to find out what it's all about.**

**Criticisms, messages and reviews are always appreciated!**

* * *

**Chapter 12 - \Doubt.**

* * *

October 12.

It was a sunny midday in Academy City.

Two sisters were walking along a peaceful pedestrian street in Academy City's seventh school district.

"As much as I love eating together with you, dear younger sister, do we really have to go out of our way in order to eat lunch? Couldn't we just order fast food and have it delivered?" A high school girl with long black flowing hair spoke with a tired expression. Feeling the lack of sleep catching on to her, she covered her mouth with one hand as she yawned. Her long skirt fluttered gently as she walked along the red bricked road.

Her name was Kumokawa Seria, also known as 'beauty senpai' among the juniors at her school.

Beside her was the younger sister, Kumokawa Maria, a maid-in-training at the Ryouran Maid School. She had long black hair just like her sister's but they were tied in locks. Her maid uniform was a combination of black and yellow colors which made her stick out a lot.

"Honestly, you should be thanking me for trying to fix that shut-in habit of yours!" Maria spoke in an irritated tone. "I seriously don't understand why you are always so tired. Oh but going through such a laborous task to wake you up does help me break my pride a bit." She pointed a finger to her lips at the the new breakthrough. "Well anyway, were you thinking all night about that spiky-haired boy again?!"

Kumokawa Seria let out a sweet smile and shrugged. "Probably~"

Unbeknownst to her sister, Kumokawa Seria's phone has been vibrating nonstop inside her pocket with messages containing urgent matters related to Academy City. It was her job to solve each and every one of the problems being sent to her phone because she acts as the 'brain' of a certain member of Academy City's Board of Directors.

"There sure are a lot of things happening around recently." The elder sister yawned." Why can't the world just be peaceful for once?"

"What are you babbling on about now?"

"Don't mind me. I'm just talking to myself." Seria spoke with an easy-going tone.

"Has that brain of yours finally turned to mush after staying cooped up for so long?!"

Kumokawa Seria brushed her off and continued. "Despite not being a real military force, the Roman Catholic Church's great influence around the world is sure to pressure Academy City." She spoke nonchalantly as she observed the area.

Different types of restaurants sporting different kinds of exotic cuisine lined up on both sides of the long pedestrian street. Its road was piled on by a layer of red bricks.

Most of the food being sold at the restaurants was still affordable even if based on the average student's regular allowance. However, Kumokawa Seria and Kumokawa Maria were having trouble finding a restaurant that wasn't crowded in this bustling time of the day.

"This is the first time I've heard you talking about troublesome issues related to Academy City. Exactly what _are _you doing inside that room of yours?"

The elder sister shrugged. "Oh, just lazing around. It just so happens that something has recently directed my attention towards this issue."

"Well whatever that may be it doesn't change the fact that we still have to find a good place to eat lunch."

The two took a sharp turn around the corner to the right of the pedestrian street.

"Just humor me for a bit, young one." The older sister spoke with a relaxed tone while the younger one was busy looking around for possible places to eat. "Aren't you concerned about the current tension between Academy City and the Church?"

"Well..." Maria searched the new area as she thought of her next reply. "Academy City's military power is the most advanced in the world so I think we are safe from any form of attacks."

"From the outside of course…" Smiling, Seria added as if she knew what her sister was going to say.

"What do you mean?"

"The tension between Academy City and the Church..." Seria looked through the window of a restaurant as they passed it by. "Don't you think it's the perfect opportunity for a third party to come in?"

They walked a few more steps before Kumokawa Maria stopped in her tracks and showed a pitying face to her older sister.

"You really need to get out more..."

* * *

Several consecutive reports entered Anti-Skill's radio wave channel.

"District 6. Reporting from Intersection Q1 of Area K. Traffic just got denser all of a sudden. There's probably a gridlock a few blocks east from here. Not very unusual around these parts though if I may add."

"District 15. Reporting from 5th Street Area N. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"District 7. Reporting from Area B. False alarm on that previous report. Seems that some juvenile teenagers were just having some lover's quarrel in the Children's Park."

"District 13. Reporting from Area G… no discrepancies anywhere."

"District 1. Reporting from Kepler Avenue of Area A, a car swerved off its course and hit a commuter's bus in front of Stock Exchange 1880 but there seems to be no real casualties, only minor injuries. Applying first aid now."

* * *

Academy City, the city whose technology far surpasses the rest of the world by a wide margin of years, the city whose entire existence is devoted to researching various fields of science, was a city whose love for research was subtly and openly being integrated into the everyday lives of its residence. A certain library in District 7 was a clear example of this fact.

Atsuchi Tomoya entered this library. Its large double-doors swung open with a big whoosh after being pushed on with minimal effort.

He wore a classy green knitted vest over a long-sleeved dress shirt and brown trousers. At first sight, people would assume that this was the boy's school uniform however this was actually his normal clothes.

The doors were made of an expensive type of wood, leaning towards an old and classic design instead of a modern one which Academy City was so used to. He looked around the large interior of the library. The flesh-colored walls and polished floors were as clean as ever. The information desk was in full view. Behind it was a succession of wide stairways that lead to the upper or lower floors.

The lobby area was visible from the upper floors.

There were fewer people than he had expected, two to be exact. One of them was on the 3rd floor while the other was on the 1st floor.

There wasn't anything particularly special about the library but there was also no reason for it to be this deserted was what came into his mind instantly.

"This place never changes! Don't people know how valuable books are?!"

Having seen the majority of people's lack of enthusiasm in seeking out knowledge, he couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh.

"I mean, one page of a historical novel, biography, or even a comic book can bring instant inspiration to anyone!" He shouted inside the quiet library, waving his hands up in the air in frustration.

Nobody was in the immediate in vicinity so no one took notice of his cry.

He then straightened himself up and quickly brushed the fringes of his black hair which barely touched the top of his thick-framed glasses before continuing on inside.

Most of Academy City's libraries contained various technological equipment to help people navigate through all its numerous sections or to lead them to a specific book or material.

Tomoya approached a small computer on the near side of the semi-circular information desk.

"It's too bad Takayama-kun wasn't home. That boy really makes me worry sometimes~" He cheerfully hummed a certain song as he operated the computer. "Well, at least his cousin is there to take care of him now."

A small application window popped up right after he tapped a button on the small computer screen, showing a list of fictional novel titles and their respective section numbers.

A long and narrow piece of paper containing his selection of books was produced from a small cube device behind the monitor.

The glasses-wearing class representative swiftly took the paper in hand and trotted up the wide stairs of the library, still humming cheerfully.

The Level 3 esper was enjoying the quiet of the library as well as the peace of Academy City. There had been a lack of reported incidents being caused by Skill-Outs recently. And all his friends were safe and sound.

It may have been due to his efforts that a certain blonde-haired delinquent had changed his ways. However, he was still concerned for that young boy's safety. Especially when he found him in a hospital with a long wound on his right shoulder and several bruises around his body the day after he had visited him.

"But still... How did he get such an awful injury I wonder...?" Tomoya muttered to himself as he stopped in front of a bookshelf. His face turned grim. He feared the possibility that the boy was still doing something dangerous even though the boy has been more open and friendlier than before.

After a minute of contemplating, he shook all the negative thoughts away and continued his exploration the library.

The bookshelves were all a dark brown color, made from a sturdy wood that was grown using Academy City's own advanced Forestry technology. Its characteristics allows it to be resistant to fire and regenerate after a certain period of time upon being damaged.

A special system was being used for a certain experiment inside the library. It could also be considered as a special feature of the library. There were sensors placed in each bookshelf which triggers whenever a book is being misplaced or checked out to monitor the "popularity" of a certain shelf. If a certain shelf reaches a certain "popularity" level then the floor panels around that area will rotate like a conveyor belt, changing the positions of the bookshelves as well as the layout of that area. The purpose for this was to see if people were more resilient to change in their environment despite the continuous change in the layout of the library.

This system has been integrated since the library's opening day. So far, it has discouraged a lot of the library's customers which was the reason why the library was in its current state. And thus the library has earned the nickname: The Labyrinth of Words.

However, Tomoya was ignorant of this fact.

He walked along the west wing of the 2nd floor of the wide library.

The scenery of course was completely different from when he last visited. Having made several rotations and changes in the layout of the sections was definitely taxing to anyone who was a frequent visitor.

His last visit was around 3 weeks ago during a weekend. The section he was currently at during his last visit was shaped like an "L" but now it has been reconfigured and the layout of the section now was shaped like an "H".

He wondered what the reason was for The Labyrinth of Words apart from monitoring the interests of people with regards to books.

Maybe that was the reason why he often visited the library. The mystery attracted him greatly.

* * *

A number of reports were sent in Anti-Skill's radio wave channel.

"District 1. Reporting again from Kepler Avenue of Area A, the driver of the car that hit the bus is uninjured and is in some sort of trauma. His body is stiff and he is not responding to words. The ambulance we called in hasn't arrived yet."

"District 6. Reporting again from Intersection Q1 of Area K, traffic is in a complete stop. It doesn't seem that it will be moving any time soon."

* * *

"Back during the olden days of ancient history, even before the advent of The Son of God, countless scholars and philosophers observed and extrapolated the stars and the cosmos."

Tomoya heard a soft mutter around the corner of the bookcase to his left.

"Enthralled, they observed the magnificent creations of the Gods. The Gods were beings which controlled the lives of mere mortals."

He walked slowly as he approached and listened to the voice, which echoed a bit in the library.

"Each God embodied a certain natural phenomena in nature. They were so powerful that a minor scuffle between the Gods, even a single action, could bring utter destruction to the realm of the humans."

The words spoken out were like storytelling.

Tomoya began to grow curious as he maintained his pace.

"But even then, there were beings that stood above these Gods. They were the primordial existence, born from the creation of the entire universe. The most notable of these beings were born from chaos and disorder. They represented the darkness and the unknown. They were named by the countless worshippers as Nyx and Erebus. And their sons and daughters, Hypnos, Nemesis, Thanatos and…"

He finally turned around the corner and caught a glimpse of a tall, pale middle-aged man wearing a black suit that had military badges stuck on the left chest area much like what a high ranking officer wears. His hair was silver in color and was fairly long. His body was so thin that it looked like he could collapse any second.

"Hmm... So, even Academy City has pieces like these." The man inspected the middle page of the brown book in his hands. He turned the page with his gloved hand.

The boy continued forward but was suddenly stopped by a hand that grabbed his shoulders. The owner of that hand was the person who was reading a book just a moment ago. That same man got close to the boy almost instantly, as if he just teleported. The book was back in its place.

"Excuse me. You are a student of Academy City, are you not?" The man spoke quietly as he looked down at a nervous Tomoya.

"Y-yes?" The boy slowly looked up and replied nervously.

The man let out a weak smile and spoke. "Now, now, no need to be afraid, young one."

The man's presence was so unique and overwhelming. He seemed to be a foreigner from his facial features and his lack of accent.

"I am looking for a certain book and an acquaintance of mine pointed me to this particular library but it seems that Academy City's eccentric technology is standing in my way." The man produced a small scrap of letter paper from his coat's pocket.

Tomoya had a set of personal rules which he established the day he became an esper. He followed these rules strictly to the letter. The first of these rules was: Always be polite to strangers.

"I'd be glad to help!" The boy composed himself and made a bright smile towards the peculiar man. "I'm a superhero after all~!" He then took the scrap in hand.

"Ohh... I see. I'm thankful that I have such a dependable young boy to help me." The man let out a relieved sigh.

"Are you from outside of Academy City, mister?" The boy asked as he read through what was written on the scrap of paper.

"Yes I am. I'm what you would call a scholar. I indulge myself in researching various branches of ancient history." The man smiled. "I like Ancient Greek most of all."

The boy looked at the man's attire and noticed how it doesn't match with the man's description of himself. "A scholar and not a man from the military like a Colonel or a Major?"

"I'm retired. These are just replicas of my old ones which I had back in my last mission with the country."

Tomoya returned his gaze towards the scrap of paper. He noticed how the words on the paper were written sloppily. There was ink scattered almost at every corner.

"Blessings of the Night Mother..." The boy spoke. "Huh... That's funny. It says here that the book should be around there." He moved towards the spot where the man had been previously.

The books, including the one which the man read a minute ago, were of different shapes and sizes. They were all History books which covered various eras.

"I have looked around that shelf already and I couldn't find it." The man said.

"Maybe someone has borrowed it already?"

"Oh.. umm.. No. It is definitely still here in the library. I even checked that machine downstairs."

The boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. There were some things which did not make sense from what the man had said. For starters, why didn't he produce an output receipt from the machine containing the section number, call number and borrowed status of the book instead of relying on the scrap of paper? It seemed that he was trying to hide something. The boy however was reluctant to ask.

"Maybe it has been misplaced somewhere." Tomoya smiled sheepishly. "Let's just go look around this area until we find it."

The man who calls himself a scholar and the high school class representative split up and looked around that section of the library.

* * *

Two reports entered Anti-Skill's radio wave channel.

"District 13. Reporting in front of the main road of Area G, vehicular movement has reached a stop here as well."

"District 1. Reporting again from Kepler Avenue of Area A, the driver of the car is displaying some unusual behavior. His eyes haven't blinked for about 15 minutes."

* * *

"That's odd." Atsuchi Tomoya wiped the sweat out of his forehead. "That book's nowhere to be found..."

The two spent the entire 30 minutes looking for the book but without any results.

"I'm sorry for troubling you with this matter, young boy." The man spoke as he stood in front of Tomoya. His hands were up against his chin, thinking of what to do next.

They were now right back at their starting point which was the middle of the west wing of the 2nd floor.

Again, Tomoya inspected the part of the bookshelf where the book was supposed to be. He read through the titles that were printed on every book's spine, hoping that the book they were looking for was misplaced in that bookshelf and that he had just overlooked simply overlooked it.

"Academy City sure is a curious place." The silver-haired man sighed. "Relying on technology to make your lives comfortable and leaving outsiders in the dust."

"Is this your first time in Academy City, mister?" Tomoya said.

"Yes. The acquaintance I spoke of told me that I would only find that book here in Academy City so I had no choice but do as he says. And the worst part was that he asked me for a troublesome favor in exchange for the information. I normally don't concern myself with this city. I much prefer studying in my homeland in Europe."

"Europe? Are you rich?!" Tomoya stopped what he was doing and turned around.

"Not as you imagine, boy. I am rich in books but not wealth. How about you? How does a student fair in this city full of academic institutions? Ahh... But I guess kids your age are more concerned with teir love life."

"It might be hard to believe but this Tomoya-san is a total ladies' man. Hahaha... Just kidding..." Tomoya said with a tinge of sadness before changing the topic. "Well, I was a Child Error since I was a kid so student life here in Academy City is pretty natural to me."

"A Child Error?"

"It's the same as being an orphan." The boy shrugged.

The man was slightly surprised by the fact that Tomoya had no trouble revealing such a personal detail about his life to a total stranger.

"Do you often trust people like this?" The man asked.

"Is that wrong?"

"Boy, the world of adults is full treachery... You'll be smart if you become cautious of anyone who approaches you... including me. You don't want to meet an early death now do you?"

"N-no… But surely not all people are like that."

"Hmph." The strange man who seems to have a vast amount of knowledge in the outside world held his laughter as much as he could. "Not when every person on this earth is mortal. It is a funny thing how people show their true colors in the face of death. Just by having their lives threatened and stared at by death in the face do their ugliness appears. It's best not to be so trusting of those people, boy, or else they will be the one to put you on death's door."

"I see... Alright I'll keep that in mind." Tomoya replied monotonously. In his heart, he couldn't accept such a cruel idea. He wouldn't be able to accept the man's advice because it contradicted his own nature to help anyone who was in need.

Silence returned to the library until Tomoya decided to investigate again.

The boy slid his fingers down on a certain book's spine. "Maybe that book has been hidden thanks to this library's system. I think people call it the Labyrinth of Words."

"You mean that book rotation system? Indeed. That awful technology was what I was referring to. I took special care not to remove any more books for fear of these shelves moving."

Tomoya stood there in silence. He took a peek at the scrap of paper again. It contained the book's call number and section number.

The shelf they stood in front of should contain the book's call number in its range and the small area they were in was the very same section that should hold the book regardless of the rotation.

The boy approached the spot that was supposed to hold the book entitled "Blessings of the Night Mother", the one they were searching for.

There was a particular rule he had for these types of situations and it was: Never give up.

He calmly inspected that area and saw a different book with a slightly different call number from the Blessings of the Night Mother.

The difference was that there was an extra digit that came after the call number. It could have been a special addition to the library or an error in the labeling.

Or, it could have been a code of sorts was what the boy thought. It could be the mystery that he was looking for.

He took the peculiar book on impulse.

The instant he did so, a sound like a gigantic gear turning rang out from underneath the floor. Several other machine-like sounds followed and then a long gap that was 10 cm wide opened up on the ground at the base of the bookshelves.

The system known as the Labyrinth of Words activated.

Each shelf was moving either vertically or horizontally, exchanging positions with adjacent shelves. The far corners which couldn't move any further spun around until they were pointing towards a spot they could move in. Curiously enough, not a single book fell out of place.

The two stood dumbfounded as they watched the spectacle.

Tomoya, who was a frequent visitor, had watched the scene countless of times before but he hasn't gotten tired watching the spectacle.

A bookshelf headed their way from their right side but the two easily dodged it by taking a step back.

After a few minutes, the mechanism stopped and all the shelves stood motionless.

The bookshelves were attached directly to the mechanism to prevent them from falling off during the whole process.

That mass of wood and thick books stopped right in front of them in the same spot as its predecessor.

Tomoya instantly looked at the exact same spot where he took the earlier book and it seemed that there was another book with a similar call number and an extra digit. Only, that extra digit's number had gone down based from the previous one.

"I don't think I've seen this book before during my search, have you?" The man analyzed the book's cover. "Can you please repeat that action you did just now?"

"E-eh?! Well alright then I guess there's no turning back now." Tomoya was startled by the man's sudden demand, but he still did what he was told.

The book was removed from the shelf and the Labyrinth of Words began again.

Both of them were surprised. Tomoya especially, since he knew for a fact that the system only activated once a shelf reaches a certain "popularity" level. This shelf that triggered the system most likely hasn't been touched for several days but it was still able to activate the Labyrinth of Words without the special condition.

The layout of the entire section changed again.

The two dodged any bookshelf that came their way.

Once the process was over, another bookshelf stopped right in front of them and Tomoya looked at the same spot as before.

The previous books he had taken out were now in the man's hands.

Tomoya repeated the process again and each time, the call number went down until an odd phenomenon occurred.

The same spot where a book should have appeared was completely empty.

"W-wait... so someone has borrowed it already?" Tomoya frantically examined the spot.

"That's impossible! I'm completely certain that it is still here."

The mystery grew deeper for the two.

Tomoya couldn't help but doubt the man's words. "Are you absolutely certain? Maybe we should check up on the machine again?"

"No!" The silver-haired man's calm expression disappeared completely. "There is no need to! Boy, you don't want to have death appear here right now, do you?" His eyes turned crooked and ferocious. His bony hand reached for his chest adorned by military honors and plucked out one of the military badges. He held that badge in front of the boy, and squeezed it between his fingertips so much it looked like he would bleed. "I suggest you stop your foolishness, or else death will arrive too early for you, young boy of Academy City."

Atsuchi Tomoya grew nervous. He could feel the cold sweat trickling down his back.

That book the man was looking for must have been extremely precious for him to become desperate. His face now showed great anxiety.

Tomoya couldn't think up of any other possibility other than that someone has already borrowed the book.

_If I trust what the man here is saying, then that could only mean that the Blessings of the Night Mother is still hidden here somewhere._

Then, he got an idea.

He had almost forgotten that trivial fact, his own special ability.

Without further delay, he used his Clairvoyance to scan through the bookshelf. His eyes had a small glint to them.

He moved from the leftmost side of the shelf and then moved his gaze up and then to the right.

The mysterious man watched the Atsuchi Tomoya do his work, clueless of what he was doing.

Then, Tomoya stopped right in the middle where the Blessings of the Night Mother should have been and saw a peculiar square symbol carved in a glowing blue light. It wasn't like anything he had ever seen and almost looked like one of those alien symbols you would see in movies. "What's this?" The boy stretched out his hand towards the symbol on the back of the shelf.

The symbol might have been concealed or engraved within the wood. Tomoya did not know which for his Clairvoyance was unable to accurately distinguish distance to some degree.

Just as his fingers tapped on the wood, four small concentric circles of light appeared inside the square.

"W-what's happening?!" He blinked his eyes twice in disbelief. "Is this some sort of esper power?"

The mysterious phenomenon made its mark in his memories.

After a second, the light died down and a hand tapped him on the shoulder.

"I do not need your efforts anymore, young boy, for I have found the book." The man spoke as he carried with him a medium sized grey box. "It seems it really was misplaced here after all."

Tomoya looked towards the man and the box. His expression was still in a daze. "I-I see... I'm glad you have found it."

The box was extremely odd. It reeked of vile malice.

The man spoke of a book however what he carried was totally different. There was no hint of writings on any of its sides, just fine lines of black and dark purple. One could barely believe that that object actually belonged to a library.

However, Tomoya had forced himself to believe in the man's words. He could not comprehend the unknown so he forcibly accepted a truth that was given to him. If not, then he felt that something that he shouldn't have come into contact with will invade his own perception of reality. That feeling may have come from that awkward phenomena earlier or the unsightly box.

His heartbeat became erratic. Cold sweat ran down his spine.

One of his personal rules came into mind: Control your curiosity. It went center stage in his consciousness.

He followed it.

He wanted to follow it but the resistance in his mind gave way.

Clairvoyance was an ability that could cross physical boundaries. It tries to satisfy its owners curiosity as much as it can.

This was a particular situation where that desire will surge out.

He finally made up his mind.

Only a little bit, just a little bit he thought.

He moved his gaze towards the box and activated his esper ability.

What came next was a total blur.

Tomoya felt a sense of vertigo and a slight pain in his head. He looked around and saw himself lying down on the floor.

There was a contradiction in his sense of time.

He didn't know what caused it or why was he lying down but what caught his attention more was the absence of the man who found the mysterious book.

"Ughh..." Tomoya rubbed his head to quell the pain. "Seriously, what was that?" He groaned again. "Did I trigger an esper's mental trap ability? Come to think of it, I forgot to ask his name."

* * *

A number of reports were sent in Anti-Skill's radio wave channel.

"District 13. Reporting from Area G. A man seems to be undergoing trauma here after getting hit by a motorcycle. We suspect that he is under some sort of psychic suggestion."

"District 1. Reporting from of Area B. I found multiple people suffering from the same psychological conditions that were discovered in Area A. I'm securing them right now."

* * *

"So only the second part of the grimoire is all that's left?" A bubbly female voice spoke.

"Exactly. That Aleister made such a troublesome puzzle." A pale middle-aged man with shoulder-length silver hair spoke towards a goatskin parchment in his hands. His words were directed towards the female voice which also came from the parchment. "The first part of the grimoire was reconfigured and divided into several books. I could not understand why they were placed on the same three dimensional space apart from the special conditions set for the magic circle that served as the trigger for the restoration code, and the fact that he is looking down on our beloved mother's gift. He did not supply more difficult traps aside from the technological ones such as the Labyrinth of Words."

"If that man who calls himself a Kihara did not give us clearance to Academy City and the exact three dimensional space which he converted into the library's identifier number, we wouldn't have come this far. Right, Thanatos?" The female voice spoke with a sweet tone.

"How do you plan on fulfilling his request?" The man walked down a certain pathway. He was alone in the area.

"Well, I'm not too sure." The voice giggled before continuing. "I guess a minor spiritual item will suffice. After all, he didn't specify his conditions well enough. Only, 'make the target come into contact with your variables.'"

"That's fine with me." The man named Thanatos took a good look at the box in his other hand. "I do not trust Academy City scientists anyway. War is a better place with only soldiers on the playing field."

"Alright, then~"

"At any rate, has the spell taken control all over Academy City yet?"

"Yes, everything is working moving smoothly."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**So it's been a while since I did an A/N after a chapter(it's at the top now most of the time) but I guess it's better late than never.**

**I apologize if I did this rather late and a lot of you will miss this updated A/N. It's just that I was so excited to publish this chapter since I haven't done anything in a while so I skipped on the A/N. And the ending of the chapter was kinda rushed like most of my chapters(I'm always so excited to publish stuff so I need to fix that).**

**Anyway, this piece is my first official fanfiction(I did a Pokemon one in the past when I was a kid but I never published it). And I'm definitely gonna give this my all, just to put it out there. I already have dozens of arcs stockpiled in my brain so I don't think I'll ever get a writer's block(nope I didn't get one before I published this chapter. I just had a hard time constructing the scenario).**

**Regarding Kumokawa Seria and Kumokawa Maria, they are siblings who appear later in the novels. Seria is a senpai of Kamijou and has some sort of relation with him.**

**Pairings?**

**I'm a Kamikoto fan I guess. I'm trying to make ShiraixMusujime happen. And I like AccelxWorst(I might write a oneshot with them and all the clones plus Mikoto in the future) as well but I'm always open to suggestions.**

**Akito hasn't won a fight even once. Why is he so weak?**

**He's not weak! He's just improving that's all. Mark my words, the time will come.**

**So about this chapter...**

**Yep, that's all there is hahaha...**

**EOF**


	13. Sleep

**Greetings and salutations!**

**Well, I did some minor revamping on Chapters 1 and 2, though I'll probably do some more fixing later on.**

**The AN for last chapter has been done, though it's just me blabbering.**

**Criticisms and feedback are always welcome!**

**Enjoy your reading!**

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**Chapter 13 –\0xSleep_**

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October 12.

It was currently afternoon in Academy City.

A group of high school girls were surrounding a boy at the playground portion of the Children's Park in District 7.

"Wow! You're so amazing!" A girl wearing a sailor uniform from a certain high school clapped her hands vigorously. "I think Academy City should label you as the next Level 5. I mean you're so good with your powers!" She stood facing a boy who was using his esper abilities.

"Hehehe this is nothing! Watch me raise the speed of my wind even further." The high school boy spoke as he stood near a tall tree. His hand pointed upwards as he manipulated wind into a tornado using his ability classified as Aero Hand. Dozens of leaves from the ground were blown upwards by the mass of wind.

"Kyaaa~! You're so cool Ryouji-kun!" Another girl with the same high school uniform spoke as she watched the boy.

"Are you kittens amazed by my pow-"

"Waahh~! Shishou, higher! HIGHER!"

A loud and cheerful voice interrupted the boy's speech.

Annoyed, he faltered a bit causing the tornado to slow down.

"I'm trying! You know, you're acting too much like a kid to be impressed by a swing!"

Another loud voice followed. Soon, the boy with the wind manipulation ability abruptly lost control of his ability. All the leaves fell down on top of him embarrassingly.

The girls from the clique let out a disappointed "Awww~"

The loud voices belonged to a blonde haired boy wearing a white hoodie with a cross mark design named Takayama Akito, and an android in the form of a teenage girl wearing a light blue hoodie named Athena. They were a few distances away from the boy named Ryouji and his clique.

After the commotion with the Anti-Skill and Judgment had settled, both of them decided to stay for awhile. Or more specifically, Athena forced the young blonde haired boy to play with her around the park.

Akito was currently pushing Athena on the swing at the android girl's request. He was having a difficult time because the girl was a lot heavier than he had expected. But he stopped himself from saying so because even though he knew he was dense, he was aware that a girl's weight was taboo.

"Higher! Higher!" Athena gleefully shouted as she rode the swing. Her smiling face was bound to refresh any young boy's heart upon seeing it.

"I'm trying!" The young boy panted as he tirelessly poured all his efforts to push her on the swing. His arm muscles were getting stretched to their limit as his breathing became desperate.

Several footsteps suddenly approached them from their front.

"Hey! You two over there!" The boy named Ryouji pointed at the two who were playing on the swing. A disgruntled expression appeared on his face. "You're such a bother! Aren't you ashamed of yourselves for interrupting me?! Haven't you heard of the name The Great Ryouji of Nanue High School?!"

The clique followed the boy named Ryouji and gave small shouts saying: "Yeah! You tell him, Ryouji-kun!"

The two stopped their playing and stared at each other for a moment.

"Shishou, I didn't know seaweed could grow on a man's head." The girl tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.

"It's seaweed?! I thought it was some kind of blue colored mold?!" replied the young boy.

A cross-shaped vein appeared on the boy named Ryouji's forehead after hearing the insults on his precious hair.

"Y-you lowlifes! Don't you know I'm the strongest Level 4 in Academy City?!" The boy named Ryouji pointed his palm at Akito and Athena, and then at the same time, gusts of wind began to gather towards his palm from underneath their feet. The trees and bushes around the park rustled as the gusts of wind blew past them.

Athena's eyes grew serious. She stood up to face the wind esper, but then a hand grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I'll handle this." Akito muttered.

"Shishou, you can't. You don't have any powers!" Athena pleaded. "You may have once fought the Meltdowner but that could hardly be called a victory!"

The young boy brushed her off and took a step forward.

Without warning the boy named Ryouji unleashed a tremendous gust of wind which circled around to form a large spiraling tornado. A large tornado blew away the leaves and stones in the area, and headed straight towards Akito and Athena.

_Shit, this may turn ugly. Is she far away enough? _Akito wanted to look back and check if Athena was far away enough, but he didn't have time. That tornado was already headed towards him.

But suddenly, an unknown figure got in front of the two and quickly clashed his right hand with the tornado.

An odd phenomenon occurred.

The tornado abruptly disappeared leaving no trace and the wind in the area subsided.

The boy named Ryouji was left speechless, not knowing what had just occurred. He was absolutely certain that he did not lose control of his powers this time.

"Are you two alright?" Kamijou Touma turned towards the boy and girl behind him. His black high school uniform fluttered a bit before the massive wind died down.

"Tch! I'll remember this!" Not wanting to get involved with the three anymore, the boy named Ryouji clicked his tongue and hurriedly turned around to leave.

The clique followed and began to bombard him with the following questions: "What happened, Ryouji-kun? Were you experiencing an off-day? Who was that spiky-haired boy? He was kinda cute~"

"Well, that was a lame parting shot." Takayama Akito spoke up suddenly. "Kamijou, what happened just now? Weren't you the one that caused all that?"

Athena looked at the spiky haired boy slightly confused.

Kamijou grew pale after being questioned so abruptly. He made a sheepish smile as he tried to hide this fact. "W-well uh... What could you ever mean, I wonder?"

"You can't fool me, Kamijou. It was obvious that it was your doing." The young boy shrugged. "Besides, what's there to hide? It's not like having a supernatural ability is particularly special here."

"I don't really like talking about this. But since it's just two..." Kamijou scratched his head. "... My right hand has the power to negate any ability. It's called Imagine Breaker."

"That is rather odd for an esper ability." Athena said.

"I don't think it's related to being an esper." Kamijou replied. "To be honest, I don't really understand it myself….."

Akito glanced at the right hand as he tried to recall the book he read from Nunotaba Shinobu's collection. It was the book written by Tsukuyomi Komoe and was a detailed compilation regarding theories about Level 0's.

_A power other than an esper's? Could this be one of those unknown variables that exists in this world?_

He closely examined the other boy's right hand for a while. A sense of curiosity overwhelmed him suddenly, just like how one finds an existence of pure mystery first hand. In the past, he researched about many different kinds of esper abilities to raise his own; however, this time around he had a completely different reason for investigating. This was more of an impulse or a hobby. He had no reason other than to satisfy his own curiosity.

"Oww! W-what are you doing?!" Kamijou howled in pain.

"Oh sorry." Akito withdrew his hand that was poking Kamijou Touma's right hand. "Maybe your right hand is possessed by something." He shrugged. The existence known as Imagine Breaker still eluded him but he decided to have self-control and set aside his investigation for now.

"Ha ha ha... I sure hope not." The spiky haired boy smiled nervously as he grabbed his right hand.

"Well whatever it is, it sure is amazing." Akito said with one eye out. "Anyway, thanks, Kamijou."

"Us Level 0's should stick up for one another, right?" Kamijou Touma grinned.

_Us Level 0's should stick up for one another? I think I have heard that somewhere before, but I can't remember… _The blonde-haired boy tilted his head in trying to remember something.

"By the way Kamijou-san," Athena spoke up beside Akito. "Where are the crepes you went out to buy?"

The spiky haired boy looked at his left hand and then his right but the crepes he bought as a punishment for losing rock-paper-scissors was nowhere to be had. He remembered bringing them to the park before saving the two from the wind esper but they disappeared from his mind after that.

Then the three noticed a small mess on the ground to their left. Strawberry, chocolate and blueberry, the colors of these three flavors were mixed up together to form something out of this world.

"Fukou da..."

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"So let me get this straight... "A certain voice spoke with a cold tone through a handheld phone's speakers."You got into the monorail, had a heart-warming chat with your childhood friend, and unknowingly got out at the wrong station soon afterwards. Clueless of where to go, you wandered around the streets of District 15 until you finally found yourself lost and decided to call for help?"

"Hahaha... Uhh well I wasn't completely clueless, Hisako-san, I was just uhh... taking the scenic route!" A certain pony-tailed girl nervously spoke through the red handheld phone. "Moreover, Takayama and I aren't childhood friends. We're just middle school friends!"

"I don't care what type of friends you are! You better get here quick because we have work piling up, you damn rookie!" The girl named Hisako of Judgment's 164th branch spoke harshly through the phone.

Tatemiya Haruka was standing in front of a large map of Academy City displayed on a large display panel meant for people who were unfamiliar of the city and needed some directions, the girl being one of them.

As they made their way to the numerous shopping malls of District 15, the nearly hundreds of people which were passing through the street had naturally curved their path to avoid her.

"Did something happen? I thought we were only gonna be on patrol today?" Haruka asked.

"There're some mysterious cases occurring in the other districts so we have been asked to help Anti-Skill with maintaining public order and traffic control. Anyway, just get your butt here as soon as possible! And no more getting sidetracked!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Tatemiya Haruka made a salute despite the fact that the person she was talking to was unable to see the gesture.

At the same time, two high school boys from across the street noticed her and began a heated debate.

"Hm? Hey get a load of that beauty~" Grinning, Aogami Pierce pointed his thumb towards a certain girl who was standing in front of a map of Academy City that was being shown through a screen. "She's looks just like one of those extremely rare heroines that appear last in dating sims. Normally I go for maids, lolitas, lolita robots, and childhood friends, but a natural girl will suffice as well."

"Isn't that the notorious Level 4 from that certain high school in District 7?!" Tsuchimikado Motoharu abruptly took a step back. He was wearing his usual Hawaiian shirt under his high school uniform.

"She's famous?" A glint appeared in the blue-haired boy's eyes. "Guess that makes things more interesting….." He slowly moved forwards.

"A-Are you stupid?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Tsuchimikado quickly grabbed his friend's shoulder to stop his possible destruction. "I heard countless rumors that her cute outer shell disappears and gets replaced with an unimaginable horror whenever she comes into contact with perverts like us! She's one level above our Fukiyose! She's our kryptonite!"

Aogami stopped his advance but not because he has withdrawn from his mission but because he had to speak up his resolve. He slowly turned to face his friend. "Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do…."

After uttering those words, the boy formerly known as Aogami Pierce was met with a demise that was nearly worse than death. Having taken a direct blow to his body after his perverted pickup line that was directed towards the female Judgment member, his body was left in an unrecognizable state, hidden and forgotten amongst the crowd in District 15.

Tsuchimikado Motoharu let out a small sigh and slowly walked out of earshot from the busy street into a vacant outdoor cafe. He originally planned to part ways with his classmate but the unexpected situation delayed him a bit. Nevertheless, he was alone now.

From his experiences in the natural laws outside Academy City's watchful eyes, he had only grasped a small idea of what state Academy City was in by observing the steady growth of unnatural flow of people and vehicles which blended in the background. By separating what was out of place from the ones that were natural, he was able verify the suspicion that he was having for a while now, the suspicion that there was something off and ominous occurring. His information network must have been slow on the uptake was what he surmised. This was definitely unrelated to science or psychic power.

He took a quick glance on the information billboard that sat above the building across him. The digital billboard showed news of the traffic incidents which have been happening in the last few hours. Having divulged that information, he clicked his tongue and proceeded to call somebody on his phone.

"Hello? Tsuchimikado?"

A familiar voice came from the phone.

Looking at the traffic accumulating in the nearby street, Tsuchimikado spoke in a disturbed voice. "Kami-yan... This is bad…."

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It was a common sight in major cities throughout the world.

Most cities were well-known because of it but not Academy City, the city of cutting-edge technology.

But even Academy City was susceptible to the nature of vehicles clumping up together.

Traffic lined up along the long winding road of District 7. Taxis and buses were currently inaccessible so Kamijou Touma had to run on foot.

He had gotten a call just after he had left the Children's Park which was around the middle of District 7.

"Magicians are currently attacking Academy City?!" He spoke through his phone as he jumped over a car that was stuck in traffic.

"Yeah." The voice coming from the phone coughed before struggling to continue. "So far, I've detected two ambiguous sources, the one you are heading to right now which is at the northern part of District 7, and the other one which I have told Stiyl to check out."

The voice belonged to Tsuchimikado Motoharu who was experiencing a state after an esper uses magic. His weak body was currently leaning against a wall in an alley. The ritual he had used to locate the sources had left him in his current state.

"I'll catch up after a while so just go on ahead." Tsuchimikado's raspy voice was evident as he spoke.

The conversation ended and Kamijou returned the phone to his pocket.

The nature of the magicians attacking the city was currently unknown.

As Kamijou ran throughout the streets, he heard the continuous horns coming from the cars and other vehicles that populated the road. The roads surrounded him in as he stood in the middle of a public square near the northern part of District 7. He briefly looked around.

The movement of people was also slowed down due to the traffic so a crowd eventually formed.

There were Judgment and Anti-Skill working together to regulate the traffic and flow of people that were trying to access public transport.

"How am I supposed to find this magician?" The spiky-haired boy panted in exhaustion. "I need more accurate directions than 'northern part of District 7'."

The afternoon sun had already reached its peak and was now beginning its descent.

The boy stood under the shade of a tree in the public square, trying to come up with a plan.

It was uncommon for a magician to sneak into Academy City, even more so if he was there to directly attack the city.

Kamijou Touma looked around the area.

The cluster of people and vehicles can be noticed instantly. However, there was something odd with this. The abnormal traffic and the mass number of people may have been the magician's doing but all it did was to slow down the general flow of Academy City's population. Truly, if a magician wanted to attack the city then he would have done something that would have more catastrophic effects, although, Kamijou was slightly grateful that no destruction has occurred yet. There were small accidents here and there but nothing to be considered as impactful.

What was the magician's intentions?

He had several experiences with magicians invading Academy City in the past. All of them had caused mass destruction to the city's landscape. Just thinking about those events made a chill run down his spine.

However, the current situation was somewhat different. It was lacking something; something which he could not point out.

Did the Roman Catholic Church send another agent?

Kamijou Touma tried to rack up his brain trying to figure out all these question.

The public square was filled with noise from various sources and among those sources were the sound of Anti-Skill sirens who were currently investigating an incident with a motorcycle that had gone out of control and hit a post near the other end of the public square.

Noticing this, Kamijou quickly moved towards the scene, making his way through the many crowds of people.

A large van meant for delivering the injured to the hospital occupied a certain space on the road that was being accompanied by three Anti-Skill members. The investigation seemed to have reached a conclusion and the victim of the accident was now laid out on a stretcher inside the van.

After watching that the three Anti-Skill members had moved towards the opposite direction to assist the other Anti-Skill's in the area, Kamijou hurriedly entered the large van. The sight of a middle-aged woman with long brown quickly went into view. Her leather jacket and helmet lay on one corner of the van. The visor of the helmet was crushed from its impact with the pole.

The boy figured that the magician might have been behind the accident, influencing the woman through some spell. When he removed the cloth over the eyes of the woman, his eyes were met with a cold, lifeless stare.

"W-What is this?!" Kamijou took a step back from the unconscious, or rather, unmoving body.

It was difficult to distinguish if the woman was awake or unconscious. Her eyes were empty as it watched the ceiling from the stretcher.

Kamijou lightly placed his right hand on the woman's forehead but nothing happened. "Ahh haha… I guess it isn't that simple." He smiled nervously. "A talisman or a marking maybe?"

Before he could search the body any further, the chattering of the Anti-Skill drew close so he had to retreat temporarily.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Kamijou gritted his teeth while he hid behind a bush that was near the van. He quickly picked up his phone after it had vibrated inside his pocket.

"Kami-yan, it seems the invaders are from the Magic Cabal that had been purged off during Emperor Constantine's reign of power. We currently have no records of them aside from the fact that they use magic that was extinguished from the world a long time ago." Tsuchimikado's voice resounded on the phone.

"Tsuchimikado, have you seen the state these people are in? Do you know how to remove the spell that is affecting these people?"

"Most likely, a medium is connected to their body. That medium must be using a power related to Hypnos, the personification of sleep. Have you tried groping around the body with your right hand?"

"Err… w-well…"

"Anyway, we've found the exact location which is…"

The spiky-haired boy wasted no time and followed the directions given to him. He noticed the people displaying the zombie-like behavior grew in number as he moved closer to his destination. They're lifeless eyes were noticeable while they walked slowly on the streets; however, they blended in the thick crowd quite easily.

A four-floored building complex came into view, and it was in the middle of the thick crowd of people that were unable to access public transport.

Kamijou Touma entered the roof of the building where he found a hunched back man with long yet balding hair.

The man took a step back in surprise. "K-kh… It's the Imagine Breaker!" He was about to reach for something in the pockets of his long black coat but a misplaced step sent him off balanced laughably.

Clenching his teeth, Kamijou took this opportunity and rushed towards the man. The distance between wasn't very far so he had no trouble reaching the magician. Once he got in front of the magician, he brought him up and clenched his right fist to deliver a powerful blow to the magician's face.

The man fell backwards a few distances away.

With that, the spell should have been broken. From Kamijou's experiences, knocking out the spellcaster would usually end the spell which the spellcaster has done. At least, that was what should have happened.

"I guess that should do it." Kamijou wiped the sweat off his forehead. _Was this too easy? There was hardly any resistance. Or rather, this magician hardly put up any fight… _The boy felt displeased of his victory but shook it off as he had other things to take care of. He proceeded to the door to the exit but then he heard several loud sounds from within the building. It was the thunderous sounds of footsteps from the zombie-like people, and it was nearing the rooftop.

A chill ran down the boy's spine.

There was a simple possibility that came into his mind before he headed towards this building just a few moments ago. This possibility could explain why there hasn't been any destruction or cataclysm done to Academy City. It was the possibility that the spell was intended for drawing his attention to this certain location and to trap him. It was the possibility that he had regrettably overlooked.

He looked towards the unconscious man and saw a malicious grin that indicated his victory.

Without knowing it, he played right into the trap laid out for him by this mysterious Magic Cabal.

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**A/N:**

**Yes, I enjoyed writing Kamijou Touma as the central figure of this chapter. I might make him more active in the next chapters, as long as it's convenient for me though.**

**No, the one he defeated wasn't the same magician as last chapter, though its rather obvious.**

**Writing a magician's ability is actually more difficult than an espers as its rules are more difficult to manifest.**

**Welp, look forward to next chapter! Happy Holidays!**

**EOF**


	14. Revolution

**So here's the update. It's fairly long so you might as well grab some snacks or go to the bathroom.**

**Anyway, I don't want to keep you waiting so go ahead and please read.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 14 - \0xRevolution**

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Somewhere in District 7, a certain boy stood in front of a store's display window where a large TV was broadcasting various traffic anomalies which have been occurring in the last few hours. His hair was dyed blonde and he was younger than most freshmen students.

"Major roads are currently jammed around and within District 7 huh… It's like there's a wall around the district. I guess I don't have any choice but to walk." He rubbed his messy hair in a tiny bit of frustration before letting out a sigh. "Man, all I've been doing these couple of days are walking and running."

The boy began his long walk towards his dorm where he will wait for a certain android girl, the appointed cook for today's dinner, and the groceries which she will eventually turn into horrifying dishes, ones that could even make a hardened survival expert cry.

The girl has been attempting to make each and every one of her dishes extremely healthy, and each time, they always end up with a taste that was extremely difficult to describe. The reason was that she wanted to give the boy the best possible nourishment one could make using ordinary ingredients only.

Smiling bravely, he moved onwards like a soldier about to sacrifice himself for a noble cause. A single tear came out of the edge of his eye as he accepted his fate.

As he passed by an open cafe, those words came into his mind, yet again.

_Us Level 0's should stick up for one another right?_

That thought has been on his mind ever since he left the park.

_Now that I think about it, it's that guy who said that to me before, and with a smug face in fact. It's definitely that guy._

As if being triggered by those infamous word, he recalled a certain incident almost immediately. It was an old incident that has been buried deep under the months that have passed, and has yet to be resolved even now.

The memories of those days began to enter his mind. He knew what those memories held but he tried to push it back into his brain's repository, at the deepest part if possible. He stopped his mind from digging deeper into the unwanted past just as the cold and nostalgic air of the back alleys he used to call his playground had reached his skin. It was a numbing feeling. The juvenile activities of the Level 0's which pursued conflict with espers, sometimes they had bruises, sometimes they were sneering, were the centerpiece of this memory.

Resolving it was pointless for him, nothing would change if he did. Nothing would change the fact that he was the one that caused the suffering of several espers out of hate. He inflicted pain on arrogant espers just to make them realize that acting so high and mighty because of their Level won't get them anywhere. He wasn't alone in this though, there were others like him as well, other Level 0's who despised espers.

For now, he averted his eyes from the truth, fully aware how cowardly it was just so he could taste these peaceful days, no longer doing unlawful activities in the shadows while hiding from Anti-Skill's watchful eyes and hiding his past from his friends.

"Is there something troubling you, boy~?"

A bubbly voice suddenly called out to him as if it had read the conflict in his mind.

Curious, Akito stopped in his tracks and turned towards the source of that voice.

"Why not get your fortune told?" Smiling cheerfully, a slender foreign woman in her early 20's announced in a sweet voice while sitting on a circular bench surrounding a tree.

Her bobbed, blonde hair was partially covered by a blue bandana. At the left side of the bandana, a single golden floral ornament was pinned. This odd accessory sorely did not match with her formal black suit. Her long, dark slacks gave her the impression of a working woman.

The bench she sat on made a full circle around a tree which stood at its center.

"Fortune telling in Academy City, the city of science? That's a bizarre combination." The boy approached the woman as he spoke. "Are you a wandering fortune teller or something?"

"What's it to you, pretty boy?" The woman responded. "What's your name?" Her friendly smile remained constant.

"Takayama Akito."

"Pfft! That's such a boring name! You're like an average salaryman!" The woman tried to hold back her laughter.

"That's kind of insulting you know. In fact, apologize to every salaryman out there!"

"Now now… No need to get riled up. I am Nemesis and I will be your fortune teller for today!" The woman gave a seductive wink.

Not knowing how to react, Akito only gave an annoyed scowl. He didn't like being teased.

"Well, why don't you take a sit so we can chat?" Nemesis gestured towards the space to her right.

The boy reluctantly did as he was told. He had nothing else to do for the rest of the afternoon and there was no reason to decline the foreigner was what he thought.

"I thought you were supposed to tell my fortune?" He sat an arm's distance away from the fortune teller.

"It makes my fortune telling more effective. Ah but this has nothing to do with that Barnum Effect you Academy City people know so well about."

"Then why?"

"Aww~ you don't like talking with this beautiful onee-san? You're such a bad boy," Nemesis chuckled. "Talking to someone creates a certain bond, you know? By connecting with you, I am able to transfer your past, present and future into the cards."

Still skeptical, the boy could only sigh at the characteristic mysticism present in fortune tellers, including this one. "Alright, alright."

Akito was the kind of boy who did not like being forced into someone else's pace, especially if it was some strange salesman. But that did not mean he was not interested in stuff like fortune telling.

"Hehehe…. What should this onee-san ask you about~" The woman smiled devilishly. "Oh! A handsome boy like you surely has a girlfriend!"

"No, I don't have one." Akito waved his hand in a deadpan way as he dismissed the woman's idea.

"Would you go out with me then?"

"H-hey stop fooling around, will you?!" The boy avoided the woman's eyes.

"Hahaha alright... Onee-san will postpone her advances for now." The woman let out a fake, disappointed sigh. "So you are a student of Academy City correct? Are you one of them espers that Academy City is so obsessed with?"

Before answering, the boy watched as the woman named Nemesis, gracefully shuffled her deck of cards. The cards themselves have stylish black designs on their backs.

"I am, but only a Level 0. They're the lowest level among the espers. They don't have any special abilities, well… most do but their powers are hardly noticeable and are on an extremely small scale."

"Why is that?"

"Huh?" Akito tilted his head slightly, not quite understanding the question.

Nemesis looked to the distance with her calm and apathetic face. She could see all the shops and open cafes which surrounded them.

The two were in a small square of District 7's commercial area. There was a fountain at the center of the square where people occasionally passed through to throw coins to make simple wishes. Around that fountain, there were similar trees being surrounded by a circular bench like the one they're sitting on.

Everyone in the area was all smiles. It made a good a picture.

"Why are you and other espers still at such a low level? Don't you think there's some unlawfulness within Academy City's system?"

"….Well, I'm not really sure. There are a lot of things which affects an espers growth such as-"

"I hate it…." Nemesis muttered with downcast eyes, her blonde hair trying desperately to hide her expression.

"What?"

"I hate Academy City… and this world we live in… They are all so unfair to the weak….."

"…"

For a moment, Akito felt like he was talking to himself.

'Hate' was a word the boy was well accustomed to. He had used it on this city, this city which only had an eye for research and was apathetic to a student's struggle in the Power Curriculum Program. He had used it on the students, who looked down on the powerless, non-ability users like him. He had used it on his classmates, who looked at him with cold stares. And finally, he had used it on himself, for not being able to climb the steep wall of the Power Curriculum Program, not able to attain the powers he longed for. Hate was an emotion that can be considered as his closest acquaintance.

Recently, he had promised a certain girl that he will never again direct his hatred at this city. However, there was still some bitterness in his heart from his past experiences that he could just not let go. Therefore, he couldn't find it in himself whether to agree or disagree with the woman's belief.

Takayama Akito was not able to make up his mind.

"My cabal has been facing extinction … We were always on the run from those stronger than us, Academy City and the rest of the world. Our numbers dwindled with the passage of time…"

"Is this 'cabal' supposed to be your group?" asked Akito.

Nemesis smiled weakly. "They're… more like a family to me. We've been trying to survive despite how small we are."

_Kind of like Level 0's, _Akito thought.

"Well, that's enough of that I suppose..." The woman returned her attention to her cards. "Shall we get started?"

The boy silently and slowly nodded, shaking off all the negativity from before.

"I will now begin reading your past, present and future through my Arcana."

The process was very simple. She placed her deck gently on the bench and began laying three cards faced down.

What Nemesis was doing was one of several ways of doing Tarot readings. Some professionals preferred different number of cards to be laid. Technically, three was the bare minimum and it was what the fortune teller named Nemesis was used to. Each card would bare a unique picture representing a certain event which she will then interpret to him.

She flipped the first one over and revealed its contents, an old man holding a lantern. "This is the Hermit Arcana in reverse, and it represents your past. Simply put, you have spent too much time thinking in isolation, unable to fully grasp your inner self." She then flipped the next card which showed a man hanging on a noose. "The Arcana that represents your present is the Hanged Man in upright. It says that you are spending invaluable time in your decisions correctly. And finally," the next card which the woman showed had an ominous feeling which made the boy shrink back a bit. A giant picture of a skull encompassed the entire card. "Your future holds the Arcana of Death in upright. It is not death where you will cease to live. It means the end of a certain part of your life and a chance to begin anew."

Akito furrowed his brows as he looked at all the cards laid out on the bench. Everything the woman said sounded gibberish to him. In the first place, he didn't even believe in fate or luck.

"Hahaha! It's okay if you don't understand any of it. Oh, and you don't have to pay me or anything. This is just something I wanted to do. In fact, I have something to give you for your time." Nemesis smiled before gathering all the cards into the deck. She then shuffled the deck and took the top card.

"The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate…." Eyes closed, Nemesis whispered to the card, her voice sounding like a cross between a chant and a poem. "Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope."

The boy only stared at the woman with curiosity.

"Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed… Ones journey always begins with innocence, inexperience and freedom. It is unclear what the future will hold for this journey, but the possibilities will rain down infinitely…"

"What are you doing?"

"Just a ceremony for the effects to take place…" Nemesis handed the card to the young boy. "This is you yourself. The Arcana that which symbolizes you."

The card showed a picture of a man holding a stick with a sack tied to it. He had clothes like a medieval jester. It had a label of 'Fool' on the bottom of the picture along with the number zero.

"Uhhh… thanks I guess…" Akito took the card in hand and put it in his pocket. He didn't understand why but he felt that the card kind of suits him. Though, the label kind of ticked him off a bit.

The woman smiled. "You know, magic began when a certain person got envious of a natural esper that had been created by chance."

"Magic? What are you talking about now?"

Nemesis brushed him off and continued. "That person got envious. He wanted to be special himself. And so, he devised a way to become special too. You are envious of those espers that are above your level right?"

"….. Yeah, I am..." The boy felt his heart wince. "I don't like being left out as an insignificant existence in this city".

No matter how many times he has been told that Levels do not matter, he still felt deep in his heart that it did. For him, it meant that a person was special, that he can do things other people can't.

"I see, just as you don't have talent with being an esper, I too don't have much talent with my field. It seems we share similar fates..."

"I don't believe in fate, but I guess what you said is true. I won't deny it, I am envious..."

"Tell you what. We both have been striving to grasp the talent which we lack so I'll teach you something. It may not be effective enough since you're an esper already but still, it will change your world."

"Before that, about your hate-"

Before Akito could continue, a sudden explosion rang out.

It came unexpectedly. Several balls of fire hit the ground around them.

"Is a Pyrokinesist going rampant in public?!" The boy stood up and immediately went on guard. He pulled out his two phones from his white hoodie's pockets and quickly tapped a command on the screen that will call for any security or cleaning robots in the area to come to his aide.

Strangely enough, the people around the vicinity suddenly disappeared. Not a single person was around except for Takayama Akito and Nemesis.

The cause for this was a simple spell that was very common to all magicians.

"A People-Clearing Field has been put up." Nemesis stood alongside the young boy. "You may have not been affected because you were so close to me but you have no choice now."

"A what-field?!"

The woman let out an exasperated sigh. "It's Magic! Geez… People from the Science Side are so ignorant."

"What are you saying?! This is obviously some sort of mass mind-controlling ability, like that Number Five Mental Out's power!" The boy gritted his teeth. "Tsk… So we are up against a Level 5 and a Pyrokinesist…"

Nemesis brought her Tarot deck above the boy's head and smacked it down. "Just listen to this onee-san, pretty boy!"

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from their left in that small commercial area past the fountain.

The boy's expectations had been crushed when the culprit behind the attack showed himself in front of the two.

A tall man with red hair appeared with a disgruntled expression and with a cigarette on his mouth. He wore a black priest's robe and a barcode tattoo under his right eye.

He was a magician known as Stiyl Magnus.

"So this is where you were. You even took an innocent bystander as your hostage," he muttered scornfully.

The two directed their focus at the red-headed magician.

"Listen, pretty boy, what we will be fighting is completely different from those esper abilities you know so much about." Nemesis whispered to the boy beside him.

"Then, what _are_ we fighting?" Akito whispered back.

"Magic."

Exactly right after Nemesis uttered that word, Stiyl Magnus began chanting a certain spell as countless Rune cards scattered around the area from his hand which he held up over his head. The rune cards surrounded the entire area as if being directly manipulated by some mysterious phenomena.

What came next shook Akito's being to its very core.

"Rise Innocentius!" The magician shouted across the battlefield.

With a loud roar, a giant monster completely made out of fire burst out from the ground and released fired everywhere. A shower of sparks following his appearance rained down on them.

"W-what is that?!" The young boy grew wide-eyed in shock as he stepped back a little to avoid the searing ember being emitted by that monster.

"It's not all that amazing." Despite the fearsome monster appearing, the woman only let out a sigh of exasperation. "We aren't even after Index Librorum Prohibitorum so I wonder why is the Anglican Church so mad about us entering Academy City."

"H-hey! How do we fight this monster?!" Akito said. "I don't think there will be any of my robots appearing to help any time soon. "

"With this." Nemesis pulled out a Tarot card in front of the young boy.

The picture on the card showed a big lion's head. It was the Arcana known as Strength.

She uttered a few words before slapping it onto the boy's right shoulder and said, "Now you're good to go, my knight in shining armor. With this, your physical strength will greatly increase and you will be invulnerable to pain, as long as you have indomitable will of course. I don't think your blood vessels will burst since I'm the one casting the spell but oh well."

"Dammit… Arghh! Whatever!" Having enough of all the confusing explanations, Takayama Akito charged straight ahead, feeling a rush of power.

The young boy and the giant Innocentius clashed their fists together.

The boy's fist did not feel pain nor did it get scorched by the flames of the giant.

Fiery sparks scattered from the point of impact.

An explosive noise rang out and the two were sent backwards.

"T-This is amazing. It's like I have an esper power of my own." Akito looked at his unscathed body. "If I were to point out an equivalent, it would be strength enhancement through Telekinesis by hardening your body, or that Offense Armor ability. So this is magic…"

The Strength Arcana's power formed a barrier around the boy to give him strength equal to his mental fortitude.

The Level 0 could not understand the actual principles behind the mysterious power but the earlier fight showed him that magic was definitely something to acknowledge.

_This is definitely different from psychic power. I wonder how the laws behind this works..._

The giant Innocentius was thrice the boy's height and was still intact.

It let out a viscous roar before charging straight towards the boy.

Akito gritted his teeth as he used the power of the Strength Arcana, and lifted a big portion of pavement from the ground before tossing it over to the giant.

Innocentius was pushed back slightly before it melted the pavement with its fiery hands.

"Just keep your indomitable will, Takayama, or else the spell will disappear!" Nemesis shouted from the distance.

Suddenly, several bursts of flame shot forward towards them.

"It won't be that easy." Stiyl let out a thin smile. "So it seems you will take their side huh. And here I thought you were just a regular bystander."

Nemesis evaded to the right without much effort.

Takayama Akito tried to evade as well, but the Tarot card that was placed on his shoulder got caught up in the attack.

"H-Hey can you use that spell on me again?!" After noticing the card being burnt to ashes, the boy turned his head back towards his magician partner.

"I could… but circumstances tell me we have to part ways here."

"Huh?"

Nemesis pulled out a long, curved dagger from underneath her black suit. It was a common weapon in medieval times and was easy to conceal.

It was a weapon known as Mage Killer, a spiritual item that robs an area's flow of power such as mana. By pressing its blade unto a magician's skin, it can cut the flow of that magician's mana as well as disrupting his inner lifeforce that was being processed into mana.

"It can't be… ?!" The one who instantly noticed the weapon was Stiyl. "Are you planning to cause chaos?!"

A rip-like smile formed on Nemesis' face. She stabbed the dagger on the ground, cutting its flow of power.

The invisible power that was flowing in that area of the ground were like thin threads which corresponded with leylines. Along with those threads connected to the leylines was the thread representing the magical power being manifested by the People-Clearing Field. The space where the dagger made contact was the placeholder for the spider web-like connection of the People-Clearing Field, leylines and the default power present in the ground. Thus, cutting a portion of that spider web will cause a distortion among the connections.

That served as a trigger.

In that instant, the People-Clearing Field has been disrupted.

The small public square of District 7's commercial area gradually returned to normal.

People rushed back into the area like nothing happened, and found a giant flaming monster causing destruction.

A sudden uproar occurred as the ordinary civilians went into panic.

Seizing this opportunity, Nemesis returned the dagger into her suit and began her escape from the battlefield. She turned around and quickly headed towards the gap between the buildings.

"H-Hey, wait!" The boy cried out.

Stiyl wasted no time and summoned a giant fireball which he hurled towards the woman.

As if anticipating the attack, Nemesis rotated her body like a graceful dancer and pulled out a certain card which she waved against the fireball. As it made contact, the fireball instantly got absorbed into the card.

The woman had now blended herself with the panicking people.

Stiyl Magnus, whose only objective was to capture the woman, could not point his attacks towards the innocent civilians.

"Tch… Well this is a mess." Stiyl clicked his tongue and looked on scornfully at the young boy. "Seems like your accomplice has abandoned you."

Akito froze in place, not knowing what to do. He was betrayed by someone who he thought was an ally.

"But no matter, I'll squeeze any information I can get out of you." The tall magician snapped his fingers and produced a ball of flame which he sent towards the Level 0.

The young boy snapped out of it and jumped towards the side to dodge.

_Shit! What do I do?! I can't turn my back on him or he'll just hit me instantly._

Akito looked around the area to see what he can use to get out of this situation but Stiyl didn't give him any room to think up of a plan.

The giant Innocentius charged towards the young boy.

The boy gritted his teeth and ran towards his left side.

Fire rained down on him while at the same time the Innocentius continued its assault.

Akito was barely able to dodge the attacks. His clothes grew tattered and his stamina was gradually declining. He was only an ordinary high school student so his battle capability was extremely low compared to the magician.

Innocentius swung its arm towards Akito but the boy got under it and rolled his body along the ground to the left.

Eventually, the young boy was cornered. He was surrounded by the giant and the magician in the corner of the commercial area.

Several screams could still be heard in the background.

But then,

"Hold it!"

A girl's voice resounded amongst the chaos.

The two turned towards the source of this voice.

"I'm with Judgment! Cease your hostility!"

"I-Idiot samurai girl!" Akito shouted in a half-mocking tone as he pressed his tired body on the wall of a shop.

"W-Who are you calling 'Idiot samurai girl'?!"

That voice came from a girl wearing a Judgment armband. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and she was wearing an outfit that would be more suited to summer.

She was Tatemiya Haruka, the strongest esper in her entire school and Takayama Akito's close friend.

"Tch… another interloper. " The tall magician said, annoyed. "I'll just take the boy then."

Stiyl sent a command for Innocentius to grab the boy.

The giant opened its wide hand and reached out to the one who was struggling to stand up. However, its hand was knocked away by a barrage of heat-emitting orbs similar to a miniaturized sun.

The girl produced two more balls of compressed heat radiation about three times the diameter of a baseball from her two hands and shot them both towards the giants head as she rushed towards her friend.

Innocentius however only budged slightly.

"Hey, can't you control it or something?!" The Level 0 called out to his friend in front of him.

Haruka stared intensely at the giant. "I'm not sure… Some greater influence is manipulating it so I can't interfere. However, I may be able to divert the course of that man's fire attacks. I don't really like creating fire since it's so plain and boring, plus it's a lot more difficult to suppress." The Level 4 shrugged. "He must be a really good Pyrokinesist to create a monster from fire. Anyway, what have you gotten yourself into?!"

"I don't know! He was the one who attacked first!"

The girl heated up the gas that was present around her to create a half dozen miniature suns. She then threw the attack towards the giant.

They were hot balls of Plasma, one of the subsets of her skill as a Level 4 Pyrokinesist, similar to how an Electromaster can use Electromagnetism.

"Hmph! That won't work, esper…. ?!" Stiyl grinned but then it soon vanished after seeing the phenomenon that will soon happen.

The orbs changed their course partway through, passing through the giant and heading straight towards the magician.

Smiling, Haruka spoke. "How's this then? There's a certain limit to how much distance I can control them but if it's just this then it's too easy!"

The attack hit straight on and Stiyl fell backwards.

The Innocentius then subsequently disappeared after its master had been defeated.

"Did you see that, Takayama? I have improved yet again!" The girl puffed her chest up in pride.

"Yeah, I guess you did." The Level 0 shrugged. "…. Although, didn't you just got lost and ended up here?"

Haruka avoided the boy's cold stare as a sweat drop ran a long her face. "T-That's not true! I just happen to pass by!"

The boy read her like an open book. He knew of her habit of getting lost ever since their years in middle school.

Suddenly, a chain of footsteps approached them from the distance.

"Takayama!"

The boy peered over his back and saw a familiar face.

* * *

"…. So you're a magician as well, Tsuchimikado?" asked Takayama Akito.

Tsuchimikado Motoharu grinned. "I would've preferred if you didn't know but it can't be helped I guess since the enemy has already leaked information about our world to you." He wore his usual green Hawaiian shirt under his high school uniform.

They were now in an alley, away from the crowded area of District 7.

Tatemiya Haruka who knew nothing about magic, was unable to understand the conversation. The only things she had understood was that her friend, Takayama Akito, helped a terrorist who had snuck into Academy, and the supposed Pyrokinesist who attacked them and Akito's friend were secret agents who have been dispatched to arrest the terrorist.

She leaned on the wall, still trying to grasp the situation. "Sorry about earlier. I didn't know you were a good guy." The girl spoke to the magician who was sitting on a cardboard box.

Stiyl only gave a silent nod before lighting his cigarette.

"Anyway, I made a mistake in letting Kami-yan go alone," said Tsuchimikado.

"Kamijou is involved in this as well?!"

"Yeah, he is currently being delayed due to another magician's trap. He contacted me earlier and said he was fine. It seems that he was able to find an escape route through jumping to another building."

"... I'm sorry I accidentally helped her. I didn't know." Akito spoke, looking down.

"It's fine. Thanks to you we now have an idea on their abilities…. They've already retrieved the second original grimoire hidden in Academy City." Tsuchimikado spoke with a serious tone as he leaned against the opposite wall of the alley.

"What are they going to do with these 'grimoires'?"

"I can't tell ya the specifics, Takayama. But, there will certainly be catastrophic consequences." Tsuchimikado replied. "They will escape Academy City for now to gather their strengths, and to devise a plan to destroy Academy City. All these things they're doing are just mock tests for their plans-"

"Tsuchimikado." The red-headed magician suddenly cut in.

The three others turned their attention towards Stiyl Magnus.

The magician stood up and approached the two. "Let's not waste our time or our target will escape. I don't have any idea what power the two original grimoire possesses, but I'm not just gonna sit here and let it fall into the wrong hands. You've already tracked them down right, Tsuchimikado?"

Tsuchimikado nodded and then faced the young blonde-haired boy. "Don't get involve, Takayama. This is dangerous business."

Takayama Akito understood what those words meant.

Espers were common in Academy City. Information about their abilities and principles were readily available in textbooks so it was not hard to understand the foundations or laws their abilities were based on. However, to someone who was just a normal student in Academy City like Takayama Akito, magicians were a complete mystery.

"….."

Stiyl Magnus and Tsuchimikado then rushed towards the final battle, wasting no time.

The girl watched the backs of the two as they left the alley.

The highschoolers stood in the alley in silence for a short while.

Haruka shifted her gaze towards the boy beside her. "What are you going to do, Takayama? From that look on your face, it seems you have unfinished business with that woman you spoke about."

"How about you? You don't have anything to do with this mess. But knowing you, you'll just jump right into the middle of it all." The boy gazed sharply at the sky which was now gradually becoming orange.

The girl made a wide, excited grin after hearing an accurate analysis of her. "That sounds about right. The fate of Academy City is at stake here after all! I can't just turn my back so irresponsibly."

Her cheerful disposition still always present even in the most serious of situations. The boy always wondered where all the girl's energy came from. She was always ready to help regardless what kind of hopeless situation she faced.

After a moment of contemplating, he spoke. "Fate huh… That's seems to be the norm nowadays." The boy stood up from his position.

He didn't feel scorn from being betrayed by Nemesis, but there was still something he felt like needed to do.

There was something he needed to confirm with the woman.

There was a faint bond between them, just as the woman predicted, but that bond was not originally initiated by him through their talk.

It was the woman's hatred.

Even though he knew almost nothing about her, he could feel it.

He had also felt hatred towards Academy City, however, his hatred now wasn't comparable with that of the past.

He had experienced the same thing, he felt like he needed to hear her out, and possibly, prove her wrong. Prove that Academy City wasn't all bad. Prove to her, and himself, the words that was once spoken to him: _The world is not made up of just black and white._

This was his chance to entirely get rid of his hate once and for all, by facing the pure hate that he had in the past in the form of the woman known as Nemesis.

"Then let's go." He spoke and the two soon followed the trail of the two magicians.

* * *

A lone man stood on a narrow field of grass, under the shadows of a large hangar about the size of a mall. To his right was a wide, open runway used by the several airports of Academy City's District 23.

"You took too long." Eyes closed, Thanatos spoke in a cold tone.

Nemesis approached the man from the runway. "Sorry. The spell we casted using legends of Hypnos to slow down movement in Academy City made it hard for me to switch Districts. It's a shame we were only able to halt Imagine Breaker. As expected of Necessarius, they have competent magicians. By the way... we're not gonna come back for him... are we?"

"Leave him. Getting the two original grimoires to the Sanctuary takes top priority…"

The woman adjusted her bandana to hide her melancholic expression from the man. "Alright…"

The Blessings of the Night Mother and Primordial Darkness, the second original grimoire he had retrieved, were held tightly under the man's left arm. They were one of the thousands of grimoires in existence. The external appearance of the two objects was that of a cube.

The Primordial Darkness' appearance was similar to that of the other grimoire beside it. It was a cube covered by black and red clouds. The knowledge hidden inside the grimoires were said to be too toxic to be read so the cube-like exterior was only a container which prevents people from making contact with its pages.

"With these two grimoires we can finally hold the ceremony to summon our mother and father," said Thanatos.

Suddenly, two figures approached them from the runway. They were Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Stiyl Magnus. A calm smile was present on the former.

"You guys are pretty daring for such a small Magic Cabal," said Tsuchimikado with a carefree voice.

"We have our reasons." The man known as the leader of the Magic Cabal took a step forward. He took a military badge from his chest and began to chant a few words as he crushed it with his thumb and index finger.

Countless shadow-like figures began to errupt from the ground around Tsuchimikado and Stiyl. They were humanoid in shape but they did not have any features aside from their body made out of pure black.

"These Shadows are my men who had died during a skirmish in France during World War I," the man declared. "There is no greater representation of death than war. You two will die here and become part of my spell just like my honorable men."

"Heh... so the rumors are true. You are immortal," said Tsuchimikado, sneering. "You are one of the few immortals in our world. That's quite a feat for such a coward like you."

The man's eye twitched. A scornful look appeared on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You merely consume the souls of those who have fallen using a certain spell to prolong your life. As long as you are unable to cast the spell, you will die just like any old man who has reached his point."

"Then I will just take in more souls, like yours for example." Thanatos snapped his fingers and then the army of Shadows began moving towards the Necessarius magicians.

Thus, the battle began.

Both sides only had one objective: Survive.

Tsuchimikado and Stiyl were drastically outnumbered however they did not waver.

"Stiyl, I'm sure you already know this but, I can only use one more spell due to using all those scouting spells." Tsuchimikado whispered to his partner before bringing up his handgun.

"We don't have much of a choice now do we?" Stiyl summoned a flaming sword from his hand and began swinging it around the shadow figures.

Tsuchimikado pointed his gun towards Thanatos while Stiyl watched his back but the Shadows made themselves into shields and blocked the bullets heading for their master.

The Shadows were not very strong and could disappear with a single attack, however, they were so many that it did not matter.

Stiyl slashed the Shadows down one by one with swift motions using his blade embodying smoldering embers. With a sound like mud being forcefully ripped apart, the Shadows were torn into two, but soon another one quickly responded and replaced the one he defeated each time.

The spectral beings, which almost numbered by a hundred, continued to close in.

And then suddenly,

"You guys need some help?"

From the distance, an army of drum-shaped security and cleaning robots were heading in the direction of the battle. The ground rumbled as they did.

Sitting on top of four robots which were sticking close together in a grid-like fashion, Takayama Akito operated his phone to issue commands to the robots while Tatemiya Haruka created orange balls of hot plasma and fired it at the Shadows.

The young boy tapped a few buttons and then the robots changed their movements and quickly headed straight towards the Shadows.

The robots, which were smaller in number, collided with the Shadows one after another. Not having much strength, the Shadows resisted the charge of the drum-shaped robots, however, in a competition of strength, the Academy City-made robots were far superior. The Shadows eventually got knocked over before fading into nothingness. It was a mere battle of quantity versus quality.

The four robots carrying the two high schoolers approached Tsuchimikado and Stiyl, and dropped their two passengers off before joining the fight.

"We'll be joining in so don't mind us." Haruka continued her attacks on the Shadows.

"Don't blame me if you get scorched." Stiyl replied.

The long battle ensued.

Tsuchimikado and Akito used their physical attacks while Stiyl and Haruka used fire to disperse the Shadows.

Their group destroyed each of the Shadows until not a single one remained. All that now remained was silence.

The robots ceased functioning as well.

Tsuchimikado, Stiyl, Akito and Haruka now focused their attention on the man.

"I suppose you haven't noticed, or may have been too ignorant to notice." Thanatos broke the silence. "I have several more of those badges and medals, each one from a different battle in history. But, that will take too long to kill all of you, therefore, I will show you a glimpse of The Blessings of the Night Mother."

After hearing those words, Tsuchimikado and Stiyl were overwhelmed by a sinking feeling while those who did not know anything about the grimoires, Akito and Haruka, were only confused.

The man slowly held out the grimoire with his right hand towards his enemies.

In the spare time he had after acquiring the second grimoire, he had read a single page from the first one. Reading even a single page from a grimoire would usually leave one with a crippled mind and even lead one to his own death. However, to counter this effect, Thanatos used a bit of his lifespan as a scapegoat. Now the knowledge of a grimoire was within him. He avoided reading more of its contents for it will shave away every bit of his life. But still, he has acquired the forbidden knowledge inside the original grimoire. That was enough to inflict fear unto any ordinary magician.

The bright orange sky instantly turned to black and was enveloped with countless stars. The transition from sunset to night was too abnormal. They were all surrounded by a large dome that blocked the sky and replaced it with a night sky. From the inside it looked like the dark scenery stretched out endlessly. But in fact, the battlefield they were standing on had been entrapped by a thin layer of matter of unknown properties caused by the grimoire.

Tsuchimikado and Stiyl were overcome with uneasiness. The "stars" made the area dim enough to see their opponent.

"Takayama, stay here. We'll handle this." Haruka spoke towards the young boy behind the group.

"Wait! I have a plan!" Akito desperately shouted.

"Listen to the girl." Stiyl pointed his flaming sword to the man holding the grimoire. "You can't do anything else here."

Their group was composed of a magician, a magician with an ability of an esper, a Level 4 esper and a Level 0 without any special powers. It was obvious which ones stood a bigger chance.

Everyone in the group knew this fact.

So, as Stiyl, Tsuchimikado and Haruka charged forward, the young boy who had no special powers, was left behind.

Akito felt the heavy feeling of being powerless.

His limbs felt like they were chained down to the ground.

An invisible force swept across the group as they approached a certain distance from Thanatos. It was a spell which became active since the moment the battlefield has been enveloped by the artificial night, a domain created using the grimoire's power. Any person with the intent to harm the domain's master will instantly be knocked away by the spell.

The force continued to repel his comrades' attacks, and at the same time, they were unable to defend from the unknown force.

The scene was too cruel.

The young boy watched in horror. Despair was written all over his face.

His fists trembled as he watched his friends get beaten. They fell slowly one after another.

Now, only he stood there alone in that space surrounded by darkness.

"So what will you do?" Thanatos said with a cold and almost mocking tone. "You have been standing behind the lines for a while now so I was wondering what kind of powers you have. You seem like you are from Academy City so you must be an esper."

"You want to know what my power is?" The young boy said with downcast eyes. He clenched his fists tightly. "My power is..." He took a step forward despite the hopeless feeling he was experiencing. "MY POWER IS TO KICK YOUR ASS!"

In that instant, the young boy recklessly charged forward. He had no plan, tricks or strategies which was very unlike him. Whenever he faced an opponent he knew he had an almost zero chance of winning against, he would always come up with a plan. That was how he always did things. He had no special abilities so he always depended on his cunning to resolve the situation. But, in this case, there was nothing he could do. There were no robots he could control and no allies he could work with. It was just him alone against an opponent who was supposedly immortal and had an ability he can't even understand.

Having seen all his friends get defeated, his mind was in tatters.

An amused smile ran across the magician's face.

"Gaahhh!" Akito was instantly knocked backwards by the force surrounding the magician.

His body slammed the ground a few feet away.

"I do not know if you are extremely courageous for joining a battle despite your lack of ability, or if you are just plain stupid," said the man, nearly laughing at the boy's actions.

"Stupid may not be too far off." Akito struggled to sit up on ground of the runway, fists still trembling.

"No matter. I had my fun. It's about time I end- "

The man's voice was cut off before he could finish.

The young boy looked up and saw a long, curved blade erupting from the man's chest where his heart was supposed to be located.

It was the spiritual item known as Mage Killer.

He felt an urge to puke after seeing the gruesome scene.

He may have pointed a gun at a certain Level 5, who pointed their beam at him in the past, but he did not have any intention to kill his opponent so he avoided the lethal parts as much as possible.

Blood started to flow out of the man's mouth.

Mana was created by refining a magician's lifeforce, and it was the catalyst for creating spells. Since the lifeforce being used by Thanatos to maintain his immortality spell was absorbed from other people and circulated into his own body through the spell, by cutting its flow along with his heart, the spell was disrupted and the circulation of his own lifeforce was cut.

The man soon collapsed face forward on the grass, just a feet away from the runway and a figure of a woman replaced him.

Nemesis stood tall, emotionless.

It may have also been due to this spiritual item that Nemesis was able to bypass the domain's unknown force spell. The distortion being created when the blade touches the force will render it useless.

"Now that that's out of the way, I can finally have this for myself," said Nemesis nonchalantly. She took the dagger's hilt and slowly pulled it away from the man's back. A card was stuck at the dagger's point. "Upon their death, I can retrieve an Arcana from a person which symbolizes their essence. Of course, you might have already figured out that each card holds a distinct ability." She took the card with a symbol of the Death Arcana, similar to the one Akito saw before.

"Why?" The young boy stuttered in a low voice. "Why did you kill him?!"

"I had to." The woman spoke with a tone of disinterest.

"I don't know what the hell is going on here, but," Behind his blonde hair, Takayama Akito's eyes flared with anger. "Isn't he supposed to be part of your cabal?! Don't tell me all that talk about being family was just a load of bullshit!"

"My family has been long since dead. Academy City and this world killed them during their struggle to stabilize their firm laws of 'not interfering with each other'. This treaty between Science and Magic is just a sham." The woman's words trembled. "Behind the scenes, that Aleister Crowley must be formulating a plan to wipe out the Magic Side while the rest of the Magic Cabals plan to eradicate Academy City. Us who are merely minor pieces in this game will eventually get caught up in the crossfire just like my family did. But I will definitely change that. I will change everything with these grimoires so join me, Takayama."

"What...?" Takayama said, not fully understanding the last sentence. "Why... should I join you?! And, why would you even want a Level 0's help?!"

"You know my pain more than anyone else that's why only someone like you will understand what I'm trying to accomplish. I can give you the power you wished for. You have already experienced it for yourself so I'm sure you are aware of the many possibilities. I can give all of that to you if you help me!"

Those words were like sweet honey.

It was possible with magic, he thought. Just like before, he could gain the power to have unlimited strength, or maybe even more than that, maybe even surpassing the strongest esper in Academy City. With magic, he could finally attain his dream, he thought.

The woman slowly walked towards the young boy.

The unnatural night was now gone and the runway was filled with the lights from the dozens of posts at the edges of the runway. Above them was a twilight sky.

"Come on. Don't you long to be special?" With a calm and almost motherly expression, the woman stretched her right hand towards the boy sitting on the ground. "Together we can change this world so that the weak can no longer be abused. We can revolutionize the Science and Magic Side."

The boy looked down at his feet. This was a question he was all too familiar with. Of course he wanted to be special, that was the reason why he came here to Academy City in the first place. But, that was in the past. He had come across an unexpected encounter one day. In that meeting, he had been called unworthy of something he himself thought other's weren't, realized his own mistakes, and fought an almost impossible battle. In that day, he made a a silent vow to prove his worth to a certain companion of his. After thinking things through, the Level 0 made up his mind. Everything was plain as day to him. There was no more need for him to hesitate.

"….. No thanks," he muttered. "I'll stand up on my own two feet."

In that instant, the woman's outstretched hand was covered by a cold, numbing feeling. From her fingertips to her palm, it was all gradually covered by white frost.

Nemesis' eyes grew wide in shock by the strange phenomenon. But it did not stop there.

Takayama Akito grabbed the woman's wrist and then, almost immediately, her entire right arm was steadily encased in ice starting from the space where the boy touched.

The phenomenon continued its effects until it reached her shoulder.

That phenomenon was undoubtedly caused by the young boy. He knew exactly what it was the moment it occurred.

That phenomenon that he has been searching for.

It was an esper's ability.

In response, the woman reflexively swung her arm around to shake off the boy's hand before jumping backwards away from him. Her face was overwhelmed with confusion at what just happened.

She knew from their chat, their fight with the magician known as Stiyl Magnus, and his reckless charge towards Thanatos, that he didn't have an ounce of power within him, a powerless Level 0.

He should have only been just a regular high school boy, someone who she assumed will grab any chance at obtaining even just a fragment of power.

That same powerless high school boy stood up with his own strength and said, "I may not be able to accept whether 'Levels don't matter' or 'This world is unfair' as true or not but, I'm damn well sure there's definitely something more important than any of those!"

Akito charged forward, freezing the air molecules around his palm and manipulating it to produce a familiar weapon. It had a shape like a dagger and its body was partially transparent like a crystal. The blade refined its shape until it became an almost exact copy of the Mage Killer dagger being held in the woman's left hand.

The mental calculations all came to him naturally, something that he had practiced during all those times he had researched other people's Personal Realities.

The copy and the original daggers clashed, making a sharp sound like steel biting against each other echo in the runway.

"Standing here, I realize you were just like me," said Akito as he swung his ice dagger that was being reinforced by Telekinesis. "Both of us have been too stupid to see what's really important. For me, it's to protect those people who have been looking after me despite me being too blind to notice."

"We... We could have revolutionized the world!" The woman said desperately, gritting her teeth, as she parried with her own dagger. Her right arm still covered with ice. She would leave an opening to the boy if she used her Arcana now.

Each time their blades made contact, the original Mage Killer dagger's surface became afflicted with frost, making it dull and decreasing its effectiveness.

The magician had more experience with the weapon however her dominant hand had been frozen, leaving her at a disadvantage. Something told her it may have been part of the boy's plan that she got lured in and got her arm frozen by him.

A downward slash came at her which she blocked again with her own dagger.

She could hardly fend off against the boy's powerful swing.

The boy's raging emotions carried by those strikes were fully bare as it hit her blade.

Nemesis delivered a swift kick to the boy's sides once their blades were locked, knocking the air out of him.

The boy stumbled to the sides.

Seizing this opportunity, the woman took out a card and unleashed a fireball from it to unfreeze her right arm. The card's Arcana was that of the Magician, the same card which absorbed the attack from Stiyl Magnus.

"I'm not done yet!" The boy launched forward.

The two butted heads again. Their strife seemed endless.

"So you are a real full-fledged esper now." The woman's beautiful face formed a pitying expression as their blades struck each other. "In the end, you still rely on power."

"And what about you?"

"What?!"

"You're going to use that grimoire's power to create this 'revolution' of yours, right?"

They both relied on a certain power to grant their wishes.

Even now, they were both the same. They were like reflections of each other.

Even their weapons were both the same.

However,

"Make a world where the weak will never be abused? Don't make me laugh." The boy spat out. "There's no such thing."

"Are you saying we should just let ourselves be crushed underneath those who have greater power?! I won't let that happen. I'll use the power of the grimoires to crush them! I'll free the weak off their chains!"

They were similar yet,

"That's where you're wrong." He stared intensely at the woman as their blades resisted each other. "What's pushing down the weak is not the strong, but themselves. Everyone has their own strengths, even the weak. The reason why they're still at that point is that they blame their weaknesses." Gritting his teeth, he pressed on with all his strength. "Even as a Level 0, even without any powers I would have still tried protecting everyone! That goes for you too! You could have done something even without choosing those grimoires, but you didn't! And that's where we're different!"

While their blades pressed against one another, he swung his head back and smashed it unto the woman's forehead.

The woman staggered backwards but the boy didn't stop there.

Finally seeing an opening, Akito stabbed his dagger at the woman's side before grabbing both of her arms. His entire weight pushed both of them down to the ground. At the same time, a wave frost came out of the ice dagger, freezing the woman's skin and organs.

Soon, the ice crawled their way towards her legs and neck. That, along with the ice coming from the boy's hands that were grabbing her arms, covered the woman's body. The woman eventually lost her strength and the sensation in her body.

"You're... so unreasonable..." Feeling her loss, the woman let out a weak smile, her mind struggling to stay awake despite the extremely low temperature.

The boy stared emptily down at the woman and said, "Hey, what did that Fool Arcana mean? You infused it with magic didn't you?"

The woman let out a small chuckle. "Oh, it's nothing... Don't worry... It just means... your journey has begun... "

After uttering those words, the woman lost consciousness with a smile before being fully turned into an ice statue.

Sadness grew across the young boy's face. He felt that he could have gotten along with Nemesis if they had met on different terms. But he had no other choice but to stop her. He didn't want to have his friends mixed up in this twisted conflict.

Afterwards, Akito stood up triumphantly, at least, that was what he had hoped, but he couldn't. The moment he had activated his ability, a sharp pain ran across his head. He had been suppressing it throughout the fight but he had now reached his limit.

A gush of blood threw up out of his mouth. His body convulsed as he tried to crawl away from the woman he had turned into ice. "I hope Kamijou comes here soon... so he can remove... all that ice away from you..." He coughed a few more before laying down. "I'll... just be leaving the clean up to him then." He closed his eyes as he lost consciousness.

* * *

**END AN:**

**I originally intended this to be a minor arc but I ended up causing mayhem to Academy City in the end so the build up may have become too excessive in the last chapter I guess. hahaha...**

**If you are familiar with Persona 3, you may have recognized Nemesis' chant. Most of the aspects in this chapter have been based on the Persona series.**

**I'm fully aware that Birdway knows Arcana Magic but I don't recall her ever using it so I just decided to adlib.**

**Who was that man that asked a favor from the Magic Cabal? Read the next chapter and you may find out!**

**So what exactly happened that caused that mysterious pain in Akito's body? He did not use magic if you're wondering. You will just have to read the next chapter to find out!**

**Reviews, criticisms and messages are always welcome so please do so.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Next chapter is about a certain boy's beginnings in Academy City.**

**EOF**


	15. Beginning: Prologue

**So here's the prologue that never happened, or didn't happened. I really didn't care for prologues in the beginning of stories but if this story had an official prologue, then it would be this one.**

**Please read and don't forget to leave some feedback!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 15 - Beginning: Prologue**

* * *

"Power... I need power... "

It was an hour before midnight.

The building was old and it didn't seem like it had been in construction for months. In all likelihood, it was abandoned before it had even reached the midway point of its construction because of a company that had gone bankrupt.

It could hardly even be called a building.

It was more like a rusty box filled with discarded construction equipment.

"Power... power... Personal Reality..."

The building's interior was hollow. The steel beams supporting the building were bare and some were missing entirely, like Jenga pieces that have been taken out from the game.

There were holes on the faulty grey concrete walls, making faint beams of light pass through and hit the ground.

"Power... I need power... Power… Level Upper… Power..."

Crouching inside the inner most part of the ground floor of that building, a small figure was on the brink of losing his sanity.

"Power… AIM... Personal Reality... Power… Power... Powepowerpowerpowerpower…"

* * *

"Academy City, also known as the city of science, is a sovereign city-state located within the west region of Tokyo. Its technology is so advanced that it is said to be 20-30 years ahead from the rest of the world… From the 2.3 million of its total population, 80% of whom are composed of students….. Furthermore, Academy City is divided into 23 School Districts, each with their own functions and purposes in the advancement of science and technology…. The primary area of research which Academy City focuses on is the development of espers…." After finally finishing the entire pamphlet he took from a random stand, a young boy looked up, moving his gaze towards one of the wide airports of District 23.

His hair was a pale shade of auburn, almost like chestnut. He wore a plain jacket, jeans and sneakers. His large luggage was at his side as he stood on the glistening white floors of the airport terminal's lobby.

"So this is Academy City... It looks so high class. Even though this is still just the airport, you can actually see the difference from a regular one. Well… this is my first time travelling so I don't really have anything much to compare it with hahaha…" He smiled sheepishly before his eyes began glancing around the airport, catching every sight of amazing technology he has never seen before.

From a distance, he could see an extremely large flat-screen monitor about his height attached to the opposite wall to his right, showing flight schedules, Bell curves, and complex diagrams about weather conditions around Academy City, which he was having a hard time understanding.

He saw a few drum-shaped robots pass by, cleaning and polishing the floors.

Aside from the staff, foreign tourists and businessmen, he could see several girls and boys around his age dawdling about in the lobby. Like him, they were also transfer students whom came to Academy City to study. Clueless of where to go from there, the transfer students with their luggages consulted with the computers, which were spread out in the lobby, or with the staff members of the airport. There were also some who were talking amongst themselves about how excited they were to finally arrive in Academy City.

It was the middle of May on a sunny morning. This was not an unusual time for transfer students to come into Academy City.

He took it all in, the world moving slowly as he did. He felt as if he was no longer in Japan. It was more like he was on a totally different country.

The bright ambiance of this place made it hard to believe this wasn't a dream for the boy. Not just the airport, but Academy City as a whole. This was the place he heard so much about, and ended up going to by forcing his family to let him.

He had already forgotten when he had took an interest in Academy City but that doesn't matter now that he was already here.

He hardly slept during the night before his flight due to his excitement. His eye-bags were visible and dark. The cold atmosphere of the airport was countered by the rush of blood being pumped up by the racing of his heartbeat.

_Ok. I am in Academy City now. Breathe in, breathe out. Keep it cool. I'm gonna start high school after all. I'm no longer a kid. But, damn. I'mgonnabecomeanesper!EspersaresocoolImean,IsawthemalotonTVandeverything!It'shardtobelievethatI'llbecomeoneofthem!IwonderwhatpowerwillIhave?!Maybetofly?Ormaybeteleportation?!Eitherisfinewithmeaslongasit'scool._

"Have you seen that baggage conveyor system?!" A girl with black shoulder-length hair exclaimed as she frantically ran towards the boy while pulling on her own luggage. "It was so high-tech! I didn't understand its mechanism very well, but it was quite extraordinary. Academy City sure is amazing!" She wore a similar style of clothing, with the exception of a cream-colored coat.

"Ha ha ha ha… Why are you so excited about such trivial stuff, stupid girl?" The boy laughed haughtily at the girl's enthusiasm despite being excited himself. He swiftly hid the pamphlet inside his jacket's pocket.

The girl abruptly delivered a powerful hand chop to the boy's head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"You still lack delicacy, damn brat! Seriously, this is why you are so unpopular."

"Then why didn't just go to Academy City on your own instead of following me around?! It's like we haven't moved on from middle school at all!"

"Your father told me to, you know! I wanted to fly to Academy City myself but I had no choice!"

The two argued for a while inside the airport until a girl wearing a high school uniform approached them with a worried expression.

"Hey, you two, can you please keep your voices down. I could hear you from a mile away. As a member of Judgment, I have to make sure you stop or else you'll create more disturbances around the airport," said the girl from Judgment. She fixed up her glasses as she stood in front of the two.

"Ahh… sorry about that. We got carried away I guess." The other girl nudged the boy beside her, telling him to apologize as well.

"Yeah, sorry." The boy said, not really caring much.

"Anyway, what's Judgment?" The girl tilted her slightly.

"Oh, are you two transfer students? Welcome to Academy City! I'm Mifune Hisako. I'm an officer of Judgment's 164th Branch."

"I'm Tatemiya Haruka!" The girl smiled with great enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you!"

"…. I'm–" The boy spoke his name.

"Nice to meet you too, Tatemiya-san and..."

All of them exchanged bows except for the boy who didn't care about being friendly.

"Well, to answer your question, Tatemiya-san. Judgment is a student organization that devotes itself in protecting the peace and order of the schools within Academy City. Meaning, even us students can enforce law on the streets."

"Heh~ that sounds cool. You're like the police or something." Haruka's eyes beamed with excitement.

"If you're interested in joining us, then please feel free to visit our office at District 7."

"Alright, I'll think about it!"

"Come to think of it, that's where our school and dorms will be," muttered the boy.

"Oh, is that so? Shall I escort you there?"

"Is that okay? Won't we be interfering with your work?" asked Haruka sounding worried.

"It's no problem at all," Hisako said in a reassuring tone. "After all, one of the reasons why I am currently stationed here instead of District 7 is because I'm helping other Judgment's with guiding the transfer students whom are arriving today."

"Alright then!" Haruka briefly raised her fist into the air, still full of energy, before turning towards the boy beside her. "You got no problems right, -?"

"I guess its fine."

Together, the three left the airport and entered a bus heading towards District 7.

The two transfer students looked through the windows of the bus, amazed by the architectures of Academy City.

"So, what grade are you in?" Hisako asked Haruka, who was beside her at the back of the bus.

"We're both in high school starting this term," Haruka replied.

"Really? That boy over there looks pretty young for a high school student." Hisako pointed at the row in front of them, towards the other transfer student who was indulged by the sights.

"He's kinda special. Don't mind him." The girl shrugged. "Anyway, Mifune-san, are you one of those espers Academy City is known for?"

The boy twitched after hearing that, growing curious of the conversation between the girls. The conversation was steering towards a subject he was interested in.

"I'm a Level 1 Telepath. It's nothing special. There are a lot of Telepaths in Academy City."

"Ummm..." Confused, Haruka furrowed her eyebrows a bit. "Sorry, what does 'Level 1' mean exactly? I know what a Telepath is, but what are those 'Levels'?"

Hisako smiled at the girls cluelessness. "Espers are ranked based on their power's level. It ranges from Level 0 up to Level 5. Level 5 is the highest and only seven are known to have reached it."

The whole day they were toured around District 7 until Mifune Hisako finally led them to their dorms to rest.

"Remember to retrieve your Academy City ID's, and stop by the Judgment office if you have any problems," Hisako reminded the two before leading the boy to his dorm building and escorting Haruka to her's.

"Let's see..." The boy walked across a certain floor of the dorm. "Wouldn't it be funny to come across a manga-like scenario where I meet a mysterious girl in my room after I just moved in?" He stopped in front of a certain door, inserted his keycard, and turned the handle to open the door. The room was empty. "Guess not..." Disappointed his fantasy did not come true, he walked inside the room and swiftly unpacked his things from his luggage.

* * *

It was lunch hour at a certain high school.

The students inside a certain classroom were noisy as usual, something which the homeroom teacher was starting to worry about.

Inside that battlefield of a classroom were two boys.

"Since you just transferred here, you'll be taking the initial System Scan." A cheerful-looking boy with glasses spoke. He wore the school's trademark navy blue blazer, slacks with the same color and a red necktie. "We, who have been studying here in Academy City since elementary and middle school, have already undergone the initial scan so we already know what our power is. This sure brings back memories. When I first started, my Clairvoyance was only at Level 1."

"So I'll find out what my power is after this scan, uhmm...?" asked the boy with auburn hair, with an unsure expression. He was wearing the same uniform, with the tie slightly loosened. His manner of speech was lax despite having met the person he was speaking to for the first time.

"It's Atsuchi Tomoya. At least, remember my name. I'm the class rep after all." The boy sighed. "And well, yeah. But don't get disheartened if you start as a Level 0. It's not uncommon for people to start at the bottom."

Adjusting to life in Academy City was easier than what the transfer student had previously expected. He was quite nervous during the first day of school, a usual symptom of every transfer student's experience; butterflies, cold feet and all that. But, he adapted with all his might. He tried to fit in despite his introvert nature. He had a goal after all: to become an esper.

"That's fine. I'm not expecting to reach such a high level instantly." The boy formed a carefree smile. "What's important is the journey after all."

Tomoya raised his eye brows, slightly surprised. "You're really dedicated, aren't you. Come to think of it, you pay a lot of attention to class. Have you found your Personal Reality yet?"

The boy scratched his head. "Can you remind me again what a Personal Reality is?" After asking that, he thought, _This is turning out into something like an in-game tutorial..._

_"_Well, there's no concrete way of describing it. It's just simply your own reality; How you view the world. It differs from person to person so every Personal Reality is unique."

"I don't get it.."

"You'll discover it eventually so don't worry. By the way..." Tomoya grinned. A suspicious glint appeared on his glasses. "Want to hear a joke?"

"... What?"

"A joke, I made it myself."

"No."

"C'mon, just for a while."

"... You're weird," replied the transfer student with a straight face before going on his way, leaving a dejected class representative.

Being the loner that he was, he took out his lunch, which he made himself, and walked across the hallways towards the roof.

"I should study up on Personal Realities, maybe even use the ones from other espers as reference," he muttered as he opened the door.

The roof was surrounded by flowerbeds and along the center were some benches.

"Are esper powers the only thing you ever think about, transfer student?"

As if expecting his arrival, some sneering words suddenly called out to him out of nowhere.

He looked around the area but there was no one around despite the pleasant scenery of the roof.

"Up here."

He turned around and saw a lanky teenager sitting by the edge above the cube-like exterior of the entrance. He wore punk-like accessories such as a leather bracelet with spikes and a black choker with a chain dangling on its front.

"You've been asking all that stuff regarding espers the entire day. It's giving me a headache."

"What's wrong with that? Isn't that why we study here in Academy City?" The transfer student replied.

The stranger chuckled a bit. "Yeah, but we're still human, you know? It's not like our entire lives revolve around the Power Curriculum Program. We gotta have fun once in a while." He shrugged.

Displeased with that answer, he snarled and said, "I get what you mean, but when you are in school you have to be serious and study."

The other boy listened to the lecture with an annoyed look, with his chin resting on his hand and with one leg bent and the other dangling above the door to the roof. His dark, wavy hair flowed gently with the wind. It was long, just a few inches above the collar of his blazer and the black choker. He was at the highest point of the school, so he could practically get a good view the entire surrounding area. "Ahh! You're so boring." Finally had enough of the lecture on seriousness, the delinquent lazily collapsed onto the roof, spreading his arms wide and forming an invisible snow angel, except without snow. "If there was a contest for seriousness, you will win it hands down!"

"Who are you anyway?" Still displeased, the transfer student spat out.

"Mochizuki Yoshiya, just an average Level 0 at your service, sir."

"Joshua, is it?" The boy sneered.

"Not _Joshua, _it's _Yoshiya_! You need to get your brain checked if you can make such a simple mistake." Mochizuki Yoshiya considered the nickname for a bit. He had to admit, it had a good ring to it. A name like Joshua sounds like a good stage name to use for his concerts. He was a proud musician of an upstart band so he had to consider these things now while he was still not famous, he thought to himself excitingly. But he shook his head. No way will he be named just like that out of the blue.

"I'm-"

"Yeah, I already know who you are, transfer student," He cut the auburn-haired boy off before he could finish.

In the end, the transfer student resigned himself and sat on the farthest bench. He was not too fond of other people's presence.

"You're not going to ask how to have fun? Aren't you the least bit curious about the sights of Academy City? Come on, I'll show you to a good pub."

The transfer student began eating his eating lunch quietly, ignoring the delinquent. The rice was still hot and so was the meat. He didn't have a peculiar talent for cooking, but he could say for sure that he did a good job.

Disregarding the boy's cold attitude, Yoshiya began another conversation. "... You know, that ringlet curl girl from Tokiwadai Middle School is pretty cute. She's one year below us by the way."

"..." The transfer student thought for several minutes for a decent rebuke, but gave up in the end. Something tells him that his life in Academy City will not be as peaceful as he had hoped.

* * *

**END AN:**

**System Scan = Power Scan = special examinations to identify the power level of an esper.**

**EOF.**


	16. Beginning: The Failed Esper

**Terribly sorry for the late update. I've been really exhausted every day but I still wrote on my spare time.**

**From here on out, the story will get darker and more centered on the demographics of Academy City.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 16 - Beginning: The_Failed_Esper**

* * *

_It's been four days since I transferred here and I'm already being harassed by a suspicious guy. Is Academy City filled with eccentric weirdoes? _The transfer student sighed as he opened his lunch container. He should have been alone on the beautiful rooftop if not for the weird boy. For a long time, he had been looking for a quiet place to eat inside the school before finding this place.

"So you're not going to ask me how to have fun?" The boy named Yoshiya asked as he lay above the roof of the doorway to the entrance. How he got up there was a mystery to the transfer student but he guessed there must have been a ladder on one side of the walls. Seemingly bored out of his mind, he watched as the clouds floated over him high above on the blue sky. He was an obvious rebel, sporting a black leather choker with three links worth of chain dangling at its front, and similar black leather wristbands with silver spikes.

The transfer student ignored him and continued eating the lunch, which he prepared for himself. Because students were given allowances by Academy City based on their esper level as compensation for taking part in experiments, his budget was very tight so the lunch box he held was only filled with simple stuff like rice, a bit of vegetables, and meat. Level 0's must live a tough life he thought. His appearance was completely normal compared to the strange delinquent. If he were to stand in the middle of a crowded street, he would be completely lost in the background. He wore a more proper uniform than the delinquent as well, a navy blue blazer, slacks, and a neatly fixed red necktie. His auburn hair was also neatly combed to the side. He was like a perfect example of a role model student.

Yoshiya noticed the other boy giving him the cold shoulder, but he ignored it and continued talking away, still staring at the clouds. "You know, that ringlet curl girl from Tokiwadai Middle School is pretty cute. She's one year below us by the way."

_This guy really doesn't know when to give up. Plus, middle school?! Are you some kind of pedophile?! _The transfer student furrowed his brows. He won't be having the peaceful lunch he wanted anytime soon. He took one last bite of his lunch before finally giving in. "... What about her?"

"I just said she was cute, didn't I? Didn't you hear me?"

_Where's the freaking ladder on that thing? I really need to smack his head._

"But well, you know rich girls. They're hard to reach." The delinquent gave a forlorn smile as if he just valiantly lost a battle.

_I really, really could care less about your love life, dude. _The transfer student sighed but then remembered what the other guy just mentioned. "Tokiwadai Middle School? That school full of rich girls and powerful espers?"

The delinquent hopped down from his spot so that he was now in front of the doorway leading out of the rooftop. He shrugged nonchalantly. "There you go again with your espers."

"What's the problem with looking up towards high level espers?" The transfer student frowned again. That was too many frowns than he could count. "I really want to see one in action someday."

"Forget that. We should go to the boundaries of the School Garden and scout out some girls."

"Are you stupid?! Don't involve me with your criminal activities!"

"What do you mean criminal? We're just going there to observe."

Having enough of the useless blabbering, the transfer student got up and stormed past the delinquent, taking his lunch box with him.

Yoshiya only gave a nonchalant shrug.

The transfer student stepped into the entrance and walked down the stairs, still pretty pissed. _I shouldn't get involved with idiots like that._

His footsteps stormed down the dark stairway until he finally bumped into someone.

"Kyaaaah!"

A girlish scream echoed out in the stairway.

The transfer student quickly snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed the girl's arm to stop her fall.

"Ahh! Sorry about that. I was thinking too deeply and didn't notice you."

"No, no. I-it was my fault."

The boy inspected the girl and noticed something familiar with her. She had long bangs that covered a portion of her face. A silver headband lie on top of her head. And, she was a bit shorter than him.

"Hey, aren't you in the same class as me?"

The girl looked up and gave a similar response.

"U-ummm... I believe we are. In fact, we sit right next to each other. I'm Tsuyuri Aki if you don't remember." The girl let out a tiny smile.

"O-ohh sorry. I'm not very good at remembering people's names and faces. My name is -"

"Yes, I already know who you are." The girl brushed her uniform and her belongings. "Well then, good bye."

"Hey, wait. Are you heading to the rooftop? There's a weirdo there so you better be careful."

"A weirdo?"

"Yeah, a really weird guy who likes middle school girls. Better be careful." The boy dashed off away from the stairs, leaving the girl behind.

Once he reached the class, he opened up his bag and quickly took out a textbook.

_Now, time to study._

The boy went full serious mode the entire day. He was so absorbed with learning about the Power Curriculum Program that he didn't talk to anyone.

Before he knew it, school was already over.

_Alright, I should review what I learned today. I'll check out books at the library some other time._

With that, he picked up his bag and got out of the classroom.

After avoiding and maneuvering around the countless students filling up the hallways, he arrived in the courtyard in front of the school where several trees and benches spread far and wide.

He took a step out of the school's main building but someone tapped him on the shoulder suddenly. He turned his head and saw a girl with black shoulder-length hair, wearing a short-sleeved blouse, a skirt and necktie. She was a few inches taller than him and slightly taller than the average height of high school girls.

"Yo, how's it going?"

"Oh, it's just you."

"I'm not sure if you are intentionally doing that to piss me off, or if you're just naturally tactless." The girl let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. "Geezz... why can't you just give me a normal greeting like, 'Hello Ms. Tatemiya Haruka, what can I do for you today?' or 'Greetings, Master Tatemiya Haruka, you are looking beautiful as always.'"

"There's not a single person alive who greets people like that."

"Anyway, want some?" Haruka brought her hand out to show the boy something.

"Takoyaki? Where'd you get some?"

"It seemed like the 'Limited-time-only Takoyaki Special' at the cafeteria wasn't successful so there were leftovers, and so the cafeteria ladies were nice enough to give me some." A bright smile showed itself on the girl's face.

"Well..." The boy slowly averted his eyes and scratched the back of his head for a moment. "Sure, why not?"

Soon, the two moved to a vacant bench near a tree, far away from the school's entrance.

Haruka handed out a small stick used for handling the takoyaki to the young boy.

"From here on out we're going to be rivals, you understand? The first to become Level 5 will be the winner," said the girl with an extremely serious face. It was hard to believe that this was the same cheerful girl from a moment ago.

The boy was just about to put the steaming takoyaki onto his mouth with the tiny stick but stopped the motion abruptly and gave a confused expression instead. "Huh?"

"Didn't you hear me? We're rivals now and Academy City is our battlefield."

The boy let out a small sigh. "I don't have a reason to compete with you so just let me be. I only came to Academy City because I wanted to become an esper, nothing else, and certainly not to waste my time with your stupid ideas, understand?"

"No way! I won't let you just run away from my challenge like that!" The girl's voice grew harsh. "I'm not going to stop until I beat you!"

"... Have you always been like this?"

"Of course I have! Ever since you got those annoying perfect scores on all our exams in middle school!"

"But... we're in Academy City now." The boy continued his deadpan expression. "I doubt a perfect score on an exam is hardly praiseworthy here. This city values esper powers above all else after all."

"That's right! So we'll be standing on equal terms this time around!"

"But I don't have anything to gain if I win."

"That's fine, because you won't- H-hey don't give me that look! Alright, then let's say the loser will follow the winner's every command for a day."

_How troublsome. _The young boy sighed again. "Tsk... just do whatever you want." He shifted his attention to his food once again. After enduring for a long time, he can finally savor the delicious taste of his beloved takoyaki but, "WAAAHHHH! What the hell is this?!"

"What's wrong?" An evil smile ran across the girl's face. "Can't take the heat?"

"Aaarghh! You know I can't take spicy food. You devil! Witch! This was all part of your plan!"

Haruka stood up on the dry grass of the courtyard and grinned. "You can't let your guard down against your rival. Let this be a lesson to you!"

He noticed that the girl had already finished her takoyaki despite the unbearably spicy flavor.

The two went on a cat and mouse chase for a while until a teacher saw their shenanigans and scolded them.

* * *

The transfer student stood with his back against a door inside the hallway of a school building. There were some students talking amongst themselves away from him.

_No good huh? I've said all that stuff about 'The journey being important' but I'm actually quite depressed._

He held a piece of paper in his hand which contained various data and results from the System Scan.

_ I didn't know starting out as a Level 0 could be so disappointing. Now my level will be recorded in the Data Banks for the whole city to see, well not the whole city but some of it anyway. _He let out a small sigh.

"Hey, hey, did you just ranked up again?"

"Oh yeah, I did. Well, it's no big deal. My level just keeps rising even though I'm not doing anything."

"No big deal?! But your Level 3 now! Don't you know how few Level 3's are in this school?! I'm gonna tells the guys at the club about you. I'm sure they will be thrilled that they know a friend of a Level 3."

"I don't really care about levels so just do whatever you want."

_You should be glad that you even have powers. _The transfer student scowled after hearing a conversation from two students before walking away. _I need to work harder so I can shut the mouths of these arrogant bastards._

It was Friday. Academy City was holding its regular System Scan. This particular school had another different System Scan which only involved Level 0's and Level 1's but that will occur at another time.

A few moments later, he was outside the building. To his disappointment, there were still some students even in the opposite side where he was currently at. He sat down and began reading a textbook related to the Power Curriculum Program.

He tried to concentrate. He wanted to concentrate. But there was something catching his attention.

"Why is she here again?" He muttered to himself as he took a quick look away from his textbook. There was a girl with short, tomboyish hair crouching and looking down at the bushes away from him. For a second, he thought her hair was made out of pure gold because of how it shined so much. "Every day, she has been looking for something all around school. Strange. Well, it doesn't concern me. I have more important things to take care of."

The following week,

_I know it's only been less than two weeks but still... Is it always like this for everyone?_

The transfer student took a step outside from the school building. He held a piece of paper showing results from another System Scan. This time, it was from his school's frequent System Scan which focused more on analyzing Level 0's and Level 1's so that the school can guide these students in raising their level's.

It was already afterschool so the students were leaving the campus, leaving him the only one around. But, he was surprised to see there was another person besides him.

"Wait, she's here again? And she's still looking. Guess I'll just study at the dorm instead."

The next day,

"What are you looking at, transfer student?"

"I don't like how you hang around me, Joshua, but-"

"It's Yoshiya! Mochizuki Yoshiya!" The delinquent shouted.

"Whatever. Anyway, do you know what's the story behind that."

"That? You mean that girl? Isn't that Mashiro Meme-chan from your class? And don't refer to people like they're objects."

"Yeah, we're uhh... in the same class. She's at the other side of the of the classroom so I didn't notice."

"She's two seats away from you. You need to pay closer attention to the people around you as well, idiot."

"More importantly, do you know what is up with her?"

The delinquent looked out through the window of the bustling cafeteria. "Ah, it's just the usual. Some girls from the upper grade are playing a prank on her by hiding her stuff."

"Why are they doing this?"

"It's because she stands out a lot so they got jealous of her. I don't really know all the details, but I think it has something to do with their boyfriends from the other school and her."

"That's really troublesome."

"To make matters worse, they're using their esper ability on her. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing..." The transfer student scowled._ Damn, these espers... they have their powers already so why aren't they satisfied?_

The lanky delinquent gave a sidelong glance at the brooding transfer student, sensing his motive. "Don't even think about getting involved. This is a more serious business than you think."

The other boy clicked his tongue."Tsk.. What the hell are you talking about? I've got more important things to take care of, like raising my level." After saying that, he quietly walked away from the cafeteria.

* * *

"It's not here either. I wonder where it could possibly be? They chose a really tough place to hide it this time." Mashiro Meme looked under a dirty old bush beside her school's building. She was a girl with average height and average stature. However, her gold, honey-like hair and emerald eyes made her stand out extremely well. People would often mistake her for a foreigner. "Oh well, there's still a lot.. of places left... I'll just... look..." _No good.. Don't cry... Please don't cry..._

She rubbed her eyes and stood up after a while before going to the back of the school.

Her school was made up of many different kinds of espers ranging from Level 0 to Level 3. She herself was a Level 1 so her power was still on a small scale.

She couldn't remember when this started but she was sure this was the same thing which happened to her even before entering high school. The ones who target her were always girls but she didn't know why and she didn't put the blame on them.

"School is about to end and I wound up cutting class this time," she muttered as she looked at her small wristwatch."No, just a little bit more. I'll call it a day after an hour and then I'll again tomorrow." She wiped the sweat off her forehead and began motivating herself even more while the sky began rapidly changing into a bright shade of orange.

She was standing in front of a weed-infested field behind the gym. Looking at all the possible hiding spots she could think off in this area made her droop her shoulders.

But just looking at the place wouldn't help her find the thing she was looking for so she dropped down on all fours and began searching again for another hour.

It may have seemed hopeless but she didn't stop. That object was so important to her that she couldn't just stop.

Just like always, no one came to help her and no one bothered to get involved with her, she was all alone. But she couldn't find it in herself to blame them for not helping her as well. The ones pulling this cruel prank on her had relationships with dangerous delinquents from another school who seldom held back their powers even in broad daylight. Some rumors even suggested that one of them went to the Reformatory, Academy City's only juvenile hall designed to specifically handle esper offenders, for a brief time.

If she could think up of an explanation for why she was being bullied, then it would have to be that, at a certain point in time, she attracted the attention of either one of those delinquents, which then made one of the girls from the upper grades get mad and jealous at her. Unfortunately in the end, she became the victim without knowing it.

"Come on, where are you?" She muttered. The smell of dry leaves and dirt stung her nose.

The place looked like a former baseball field overgrown with plants and trees. Beyond where she was standing was a fence behind a thick number of trees.

She started from the part closest to the gym, working her way up.

_Who am I kidding?_

She pulled out a weed in frustration, making her hands dirtier than before.

"I'm so stupid. Who am I even kidding?! They didn't hide it, they just threw it away like some kind of trash." Crouching under the dark shade of a tree, she pulled and tossed, pulled and tossed weeds off the ground. When she finished, she tightly hugged her legs and hid her crying face.

The area was filled with silence for a while until she heard some footsteps in the opposite direction.

"A teacher? But no one ever comes here... Don't tell me it's one of them?!" She felt her chest grew tighter, making it hard for her to breathe. "I-I should get away right now. She might call for her friends or even her boyfriend at any moment."

The footsteps grew louder with each passing second but her legs couldn't move like she wanted them too, making her unable to stand up.

"Oh no, I can't move!"

"Hey." A guy's voice suddenly called out.

"GYAAAAHHH! Don't hurt me, please!" She curled up even more and closed her eyes.

"Ughh... you're so loud. Anyway, it took me a while to find you so- H-hey! Ow! The hell are you doing?! Stop throwing weeds with their roots at me! "

"Y-you're one of their boyfriends aren't you?! You were the one rumored to have spent some time in the Reformatory so now they ordered you to finally beat me up to prove that you didn't have any feelings for me, aren't you?!"

"What the hell are you talking about?! I just came here to give you this."

"Huh?" Meme opened her eyes and slowly, carefully turned her head towards the source of that voice. She couldn't quite see his face because they were in the shadow of the gym, however she saw that he was a boy with straight chestnut colored hair, and he had her school's uniform, which proves that he wasn't the delinquent from the other school. "Wait, aren't you that transfer student who just arrived in my class? U-umm... I think your name was - ?"

The boy continued his annoyed look. "I wasted a lot of time because of you. I should have been studying to raise my level right about now."

"Huh?"

"Tsk... just be quiet and accept this." He tossed a small doll made of wool to the girl. "That's yours isn't it?"

Mashiro Meme looked at the doll she caught with her hands. It had different colors of wool tied together to make a shape of a little girl. It was obviously handmade.

For a moment, time felt like it stopped for her. It was a poorly made object but it was still a very precious object for her. "Before I came to Academy City, my friend made me this doll to remember her by. She was the only friend I had, and still am."

"..."

"How did you find it?"

"... That senior girl bullying you was a Level 2 with the power of Camouflage Touch. She can change the transparency of small-scaled objects permanently with a single touch of her hand. Her ability raised a rank only recently so she was able to do what she just did this time around. And about that doll, I found it tied to the front of your desk, invisible. I don't believe in fate, omens or luck but just for today, I was lucky to have found it after searching your desk."

"I-I didn't know she had a power like that. But how did you turn it back to normal?"

"Tsk... didn't I tell you? You wasted a lot of my time. I looked for an esper with a similar power so I can have him turn it back to normal, even though I wasn't even sure there was one to begin with but, again, me and the pedophile guy luckily found one. And then after those painstaking searches, I had to finally search the entire school for you. Midway, I was abandoned by that same pedophile guy saying 'I only have my eyes on the ringlet curl girl. You can have this one.' You should've really done your research before wasting your time looking!"

Her knees finally collapsed and she sat back down on the dry ground once she had heard all that she needed to know.

It was finally over. Her struggle was finally over.

"Thank you! Really, thank you! I-I don't know what I would've done if I was unable to find this!" Several tears began to form at the edges of her eyes. She clenched the doll tightly in her hands.

"... Just don't let them see it again. And if you want to thank someone, thank that pedophile guy. His name's Mochimochitsuki Joshua, a tall and suspicious guy, you'll know when you see him. He was the one who gathered the information and helped find the doll so he's the one you should be giving the credit to." The boy scratched the back of his head, showing an extremely disgruntled expression. "Are we done here? Can I go now? Well, whatever. I need to study up. Don't talk to me again, you hear?"

The girl looked on, speechless. Before she knew it, the boy was already out of sight. However, there was still a curious feeling aching inside of her. It had not come from her regaining her precious memento, but it had come from something else.

_You answered all of my questions but... why did you help me in the first place...?_

* * *

There were Level 0's , the students with no powers, Level 1's, the students with small powers, Level 2's, the students with useful powers, Level 3's, the students with strong powers, Level 4's, the students with great powers, and Level 5's, the students with super powers. But among them was someone very unusual.

"I've changed my opinion of you, transfer student. You're really something." The delinquent Level 0 named Mochizuki Yoshiya whispered to his friend.

"Shut up."

"No, no, I'm serious."

"Shut up."

"All these years I've spent here in Academy City, that's the first time I have seen someone achieve such an amazing feat."

"Joshua."

"Who knew it was possible to get straight F's on five consecutive power scans in a row."

"..." Try as he might, the boy couldn't hold his frustration any longer. "I'm a freaking transfer student! How do you expect me to bend a spoon or do Colombus' Egg after attending school for only a month?! Our school holds scans so frequently that I can't keep up! Plus it's not like you did any better than I have!"

The other boy smirked. "I'm sorry to say but you're wrong. I got a B on Psychometry."

"Yeah, _only Psychometry."_

"Hey, that's better than a flush full of F's. The teachers told me I'll probably become a Psychometer based on my progress. Anyway, it's kinda strange."

"What's strange?"

"You're the most serious person I've ever met when it comes to developing his powers yet you haven't made any progress at all. I figured you'd at least get a C after two or three scans when we first met, but no, you haven't made a single progress, not a single one."

A sweat drop formed on the transfer student's face. Every word stabbed through him mercilessly. He was unsure whether the delinquent was doing this intentionally or not. "Y-you don't have to rub it in so much you know."

"There are other Level 0's like us but I'm pretty sure none of them have straight F's."

"Okay, you can stop now."

"You might as well become an urban legen-"

The delinquent was cut short by a blow straight to his face which sent him falling backwards.

"You really piss me off, you know that?"

Soon after, the boy, like a zombie, got up from the corner of the street where he landed and walked towards his friend."Ok, I might have deserved that. On a different note, you're starting to behave just like me."

The two troublemakers were on an empty street across a large steel gate. The high walls which connected to that gate extended indefinitely in a circle. That gate led to a certain area of District 7 exclusive to only women, the School Garden. Men were strictly prohibited in that area. The staff and Anti-Skill stationed there did not include male members. It was said that even satellite surveillance could not penetrate that area of Academy City.

"Why am I even helping you with stalking that ringlet curl girl of yours." The young boy slouched his shoulders depressingly.

"You don't understand how exciting this is. I hear she rarely leaves the School Garden. She's like a rare Pokémon or something!"

Under an umbrella of an open-air cafe, the two watched the steel gate, waiting for said girl to appear until,

"Hey, take a look at that," Yoshiya said.

The other boy peered towards the direction his partner in crime pointed. "What? It's just a girl."

"No, not that. _That."_

_"_Huh?" He focused his attention towards the same direction, and saw the girl he noticed from before, being stalked by a middle-aged man. But that was not the only thing he noticed. Standing behind the post behind the middle-aged man was another middle-aged man. But that was not the only thing he noticed. Standing behind the post behind the middle-aged man behind the post behind the middle-aged man was another middle-aged man. But that was not the only thing he noticed. Standing behind the post behind the middle-aged man behind the post behind the middle-aged man behind the post behind the middle-aged man was another middle-aged man. And then it continued on for forever.

"W-what the hell?!"

"Is this some kind of stalking fest?!"

Almost immediately, the army of middle-aged men saw the two boys witnessing their misdeeds.

Yoshiya took a step back. "Oi, transfer student, I think we should hightail it and run."

"For once, we agree."

Without wasting any more time, the two ran with all their might with the middle-aged men army behind them.

* * *

"Did we lose them?" The transfer student panted as he stood leaning on a wall.

"We should. I mean we ran till we crossed districts for christ's sake! We're in freaking District 10 now!"

"Seriously, what the hell was that about?"

"I don't know, but we should forget this ever happened, agreed?" Yoshiya caught his breadth before continuing. "Now let's go grab a bite. I'm not fond of family restaurants but anything will do at this point."

The transfer student looked at his watch. It was already 5 in the evening. "I'm not going. I'm gonna go home and study."

Yoshiya sighed. "Not this again. I keep telling you to have fun once in a while. That thing earlier, it was stupid but wasn't it fun? You need to liven up and act like a regular high school boy. Level's aren't everything in this world."

"No matter what you say I'm still going to try and raise my level."

"Oh, god..." The delinquent groaned. "Well, have fun with your books and all that, I'm just gonna go and find some fast food to take out to the dorm."

The transfer student parted ways with the other boy and began his way back to District 7, towards his dorm.

It has already been a month since he transferred but things were still not going well as he expected.

Soon, summer vacation will come and he will have to spend the rest of his days as a Level 0 if doesn't manage to raise his level by that time.

Also, he hasn't managed to make any friends aside from the one he was with just now.

He walked passed by a construction site and suddenly noticed something peculiar.

"Hey, shithead, why don't you just give us your money and save yourself the trouble?"

"I-I really don't have anything with me, I swear!"

"Quit wasting our time. Don't you know that this guy here has been in and out of the Reformatory last year? You'll be stupid if you think you can mess with him! Hahaha!"

_Crap! What the hell is going on?_The transfer student quickly hid himself behind a wall after noticing two tall thugs, under the remaining daylight, cornering a skinny boy who seems to be in high school in a small road that only a single car can pass through. His heart began to race.

"I'm telling the truth, I seriously don't have any!"

The transfer student took a quick peek around the corner, careful not to be seen. He saw the boy who was being extorted gradually becoming more and more desperate. His sweat was pouring down on his face, and his eyes were wide and dilated.

_Damn it, what should I do? Should I call for Judgment or Anti-Skill? I doubt they will make it in time though... But, this is none of my business, right? I can just casually avert my eyes and go the other way, right? Yeah, that's it. I don't have to go through all this trouble for some guy I don't even know so let's just quietly walk away and... Urghhh! I seriously don't understand myself sometimes!_

Without knowing it, the body of the tallest of the two thugs extorting the boy was suddenly met with a tremendous force. It felt like he was hit by large blunt weapon but softer. A second later, he was knocked off balance away from where he was standing.

His partner was too late to react and only turned his attention from the skinny boy to the newcomer right after his friend got knocked away. "Oi! Who the hell are you?!"

The transfer student didn't reply. His eyes were a mixed of anger and desperation. Not wasting a single instant, he charged again, planning to tackle the other boy as well. But just as he was about to hit his own body against the other tall boy, his body's movement ceased suddenly. His body was overcome with a stinging sensation so fast, even he was unable to realize it. It felt similar to being attacked by a stun gun. Following this, his whole body went numb and he fell to the ground. With an unpleasant sound, his head struck the asphalt, causing him severe pain. He wasn't sure how this happened though. The only thing he actually saw was a flash of light.

"I-I don't know who you are, but you have some serious balls to pick a fight with us." The unscathed thug said. "Are you alright, Nagato?"

Cracking his neck with an extremely annoyed expression, the tallest of the two delinquents replied, "Yeah, no big deal, Mori. What's this guy's problem anyway?!"

The transfer student struggled to lift his body up from the asphalt. A big wound marked his bleeding forehead. "Wha-what just happened?!" He asked in a raspy voice, lifting his head up.

The delinquent named Mori gave a wide smirk and replied, "Nagato here is a rowdy Level 4 Electromaster. Plus, he has been to the Reformatory for being such a knucklehead."

The one named Nagato gave a brief glare at his friend but the latter didn't mind.

"What's wrong, shithead? Why don't you use your powers? You're a student of Academy City as well, aren't you?" Mori peered down on the suffering transfer student.

"Looks like he's just a weak Level 0."

"Oh, I know. Why don't I help you get up!"

The transfer suddenly had his collar pulled. He was pulled up unto his feet but only for a moment. The delinquent grabbed the boy's neck and pushed him savagely towards the opposite wall.

"Gahhh!" The back of his head hit the wall while he was being choked. While he was still being lifted off the ground, he grasped Mori's arms with the hope of removing the hands choking him but the delinquent was terrifyingly strong.

A smirk ran across Mori's face. "You want to see a magic trick, shithead?" He removed his hands from the boy's neck, just as the boy wanted.

The boy was no longer being choked but he's feet still haven't touched the ground. It's like he was stuck to the wall by some force.

"I'm not a Level 4 like Nagato, but being a Level 3 Telekinetic is good enough for me!"

Nagato walked to his friend's side and said, "Hey, let me get a piece of him too."

"Sure thing, man."

The transfer student was overcome with a stinging sensation again. Violent electricity coursed through his body while he was being covered by a flashing light. The sound of electricity echoed throughout the road. "Gaaaaaaahhh!" He howled in pain.

In his mind, he was wondering why this was happening to him.

What did he do to deserve such agonizing pain?

He was aware that espers were still people so they still had their conscience with them, however small it may be. But why was he undergoing such pain in the hands of people with minds that can think, able to distinguish from good and bad?

Coming from outside Academy City, he was unable to understand their logic. Were they unable to see that using their powers against someone else was terrible?

He searched his barely conscious brain for the answers and found a simple one: Espers were a dangerous existence.

Academy City was the leading city when it comes to science and technology, and the only place where students were given education that would result in supernatural power.

In that system, there were a lot of arbitrary variables that could influence a person's livelihood.

The most significant element among these were the espers. These were young people who haven't reached adulthood, yet, they were given the responsibility to hold potentially dangerous powers. So any student undergoing the Power Curriculum Program had the potential to wield a dangerous power which could cheat, bully or even kill a person.

There was nothing to save powerless students like him from espers, not even Anti-Skill or Judgement could especially in situations such as this. From looking up to Academy City, his view of it became dark. This city was no longer that shining city of dreams which he desperately wanted live in.

He was being violently electrocuted by an esper while being levitated off the ground by another. Just a bit more of this and he will die. If this electric shock continued for a bit more and made his heart stop, then he will surely die.

After dozens of agonizing seconds that felt like centuries, the auburn haired boy dropped to the ground consequently after both the Electromaster and the Telekinetic suddenly stopped their attacks. He was still alive but having difficulty breathing.

"This is getting kind of boring, Mori."

"Well, we did spent a lot of time here. Let's call it a day before anybody else sees us."

The transfer student's body lie motionless on the ground. After a moment, a twitch came followed by a cough. He heard a fragment of the conversation but couldn't do anything. Espers were violent, scary, malicious beings is what repeatedly came into his mind.

The soft footsteps of the two delinquents were obscured by his scattered mind.

He had lost track of time, however, a sickening voice from the boy who was being extorted spoke to him.

"You think you're cool or something? Quit playing the hero when you are even weaker than me. Because of you, I'll be in more trouble in the future now that I'll be on those guys' list."

"..."

Running away from him, the skinny boy's hurrying footsteps came afterwards.

After being left alone in that small road, a fragment of the transfer student's mind snapped. With the strength he had left, he weakly punched the ground, venting all his rage on it.

_Damn it... Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! DAMN IIIIIIT!_

* * *

**END AN:**

**Judging from my lack of updates, who knows when the next will be. Of course, a review or feedback might help me get motivated even more and persevere through my busy schedule in order to write ;)**

**To sum up this chapter, our transfer student had involved himself to help Mashiro Meme get his precious item back from an upperclassman who is bullying her, and as well as to save a boy from two high level espers, however, the latter backfired on him and he nearly died because of it. Now his viewpoint on Academy City has changed from good to bad. So what will he do now?**

**EOF.**


	17. Beginning: The Black Wolves

**As always, I'm sorry for the slow update!**

**So did you guys know that NT12 is out? I hear it involves the one who calls himself the Number Six, Aihana Etsu, Hamazura in a Powered Suit and another Magic God. Based on the cover, Aihana looks more timid than I had previously thought(I thought he was some loud biker with the same personality as Aogami).I'll be reading the translations as soon as they're done so I'm excited.**

**Anyway, I know this arc may seem drawn out and not having much meaning but please bear with me, I'll be revealing a lot of stuff soon.**

**So please enjoy and leave a review if you can!**

* * *

**Chapter 17 - Beginning: The_Black_Wolves**

* * *

July 14. 9:40 pm.

It was a dry, mundane night in Academy City.

Following the transition into their summer uniforms, students have been counting down their remaining days of school before summer vacation finally arrives. Thus, most have already begun planning for their vacation.

Despite the unpleasantly hot weather, more and more students were spending the later hours of the night with their friends to shop for swimsuits or anything they may need in their long awaited vacation.

"Hey Nagato, have you heard about that rumor in that certain high school in District 7 where Meme-chan studies at?" A tall teenager with a weasel-like face spoke.

"Oh? Is this another one of your stupid bullshits, Mori?" The tall and well-built Nagato replied sarcastically.

"No, no, I'm serious this time. I've heard that there's this girl who just reached Level 3 after having transferred only 2 months ago."

"Oh really now? What's her name then?"

"I think it's Tatemiya- something?"

"Ahh I see, so it really is another one of your bullshits then."

"Wait, just give me more time and I'll remember it." Mori pointed his fingers to his forehead, trying to recall the girl's name while Nagato just shrugged.

They were a notorious esper duo which has been terrorizing the streets of Academy City late at night, a Level 3 Telekinetic and a Level 4 Electromaster. The man named Nagato in particular was very infamous for spending time in Academy City's only juvenile hall, the Reformatory. Both of them were old enough to be seniors in high school however, whether they actually study in Academy City was questionable.

After walking for some time, the two made their way into a dark slick alley with the bright nightlife of District 15 in the background. It was completely empty save for some trashcans and random cardboard boxes. The ground stretched out onward like an empty void.

The air was absolutely stiff. One could hear his own breathing from such deafening silence.

The two went further in, still talking amongst themselves, but the conversation eventually died down. It didn't take them a few steps to know something was wrong.

Despite being in the middle of such an urban district, the dark alley was eerily quiet. Usually, they would expect various sounds of cars passing through or any other ambient noise but none of that was present here.

Noticing this, the two boys changed their expression from calm and joking to that of unease.

"Hey, has this place always been this creepy? I remember there being more stray cats here." Mori whispered.

"You feel it too? This is our usual route but somehow it feels like we're in a completely different place."

They heard a tiny sound all of a sudden. The quiet of that lonely alley amplified that tiny sound.

The two boys twisted their heads trying to figure out where the source of that sound was until it finally made itself obvious.

"What... is that?" Nagato squinted his eyes.

A wandering light from outside the alley illuminated a small object, not bigger than a softball, rolling towards them. It was the round head of a doll, or more specifically, the head of a teddy bear.

Mori let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just trash."

"Yeah, no shit. You didn't have to go and raise the tension all of a sudden."

Suddenly, two more similar objects rolled towards them from the same direction but with great speed this time.

In response, the two boys watched wide-eyed at the bizarre scene but it didn't last long. Cold sweat ran down their skin. As the three doll heads stopped, they released a great amount of muddy gas from their holes hidden within the fur. The two boys coughed and whizzed after breathing in some of the gas.

"W-What the hell?!"

"What's going on?!"

They covered their mouths and tried to fan out the toxic gas but the enclosed space of the alley and the lack of wind made it difficult.

In the next instant, a mysterious flat object rammed itself against Nagato's face. He could not see what it was or react to it but it felt like a hard rubber mat. The force was enough to make him stagger backwards and fall on his backside.

Pushing him forward out of the smoke, another similar attack struck Mori but from behind this time.

As if in coordination to that attack, a force stuck him from the right, hitting his head with a massive blow. It was most likely a kick.

He fell to the ground but not without taking a brief glance at the attacker, a figure of a bit shorter than him, most likely a girl, wearing a black hooded jacket which hid a great portion of the face.

Nagato, who was on the opposite end of the smoke, coughed and stood up. He didn't think twice and began his offensive. Sparks of electricity began appearing around his body. His index finger pointed towards the middle of the smokescreen where his attacker was.

A surge of electricity rushed forwards but it stopped midway. The alley was filled with a brief flash of light.

The electricity hit a wall which appeared out of the smoke. No, it wasn't a wall. It was the rubber mat which hit him previously. The insulation of the mat was able to stop the current being generated by the Level 4 Electromaster.

Nagato released a series of attacks with his index finger, aiming for various spots away from the rubber mat. But, the figure holding the mat moved it to catch the attacks.

Seeing his attacks get dispersed one by one, Nagato gritted his teeth and brought out both his hands to unleash a final powerful attack. But before he could release it, he stopped the motion suddenly.

A dull sound of metal rang throughout the alley.

The well-built delinquent who spent some time in the Reformatory felt a heavy impact hit the base of his neck. Before he could even react, an unpleasant shock raised through his body. He collapsed to the ground soon afterwards without much resistance.

With a soft clang, the tip of the weapon used to hit Nagato tapped the ground and got dragged by the handle by another person wearing a black jacket with an oversized hood.

The person took a few steps forward and met up face-to-face with the other attackers.

"That's that," said the person holding the rubber mat. "That felt good. I can finally sleep well at night now that we eliminated the vermin of Academy City. These arrogant espers need to know their place." His hood hid a great portion of his face just like the others, but one could definitely see the disgusting grin on his face.

"Leader."

A soft female voice came out from behind the one holding the rubber mat.

It was the one who delivered a roundhouse kick to the other delinquent.

"My sister has an audition tomorrow so we must be going now." She pointed to the one clutching to her back, a smaller version of her wearing the exact same clothing.

The one holding the metal bat, their leader, spoke in an emotionless tone. "Alright, we're done here."

As he lay on the ground barely conscious, Nagato weakly moved his gaze up to see the face of the one holding the metal bat.

Under that dark hood was a tuft of brown auburn hair sticking out.

But that was not where he was looking at.

Further in, a pair of cold, emotionless eyes, ones that would fit a beast or a serial killer, was glaring at him.

"Y-you...?!" A raspy voice escaped his mouth. "... Y-you're not g-getting away with this!"

The other members of the group looked at each other and shrugged in puzzlement.

The leader took a small step towards him and spoke in a low voice. "No one's going to save you now, damn esper." With great force, he swung the bat down at the esper's face.

* * *

Mochizuki Yoshiya took a step out of his classroom carrying his bass guitar inside a large leather case. He was a lanky student who wore punk accessories and had long black wavy hair. The transition from winter to summer uniforms has ended so every student was now wearing light clothing, including him. "Now then, I wonder if he's finally come to school after all this time."

The halls of the school were crowded as usual.

He made his way down the hall and stopped in front of the door of a classroom.

Peering inside the classroom, he saw a girl with gold-like hair standing with her back towards him. Before taking a step inside, he called out to the girl. "Yo, Mashiro-chan!"

The girl turned around reluctantly, and spoke in a displeased tone. "What do you want?"

Yoshiya took a step back, sensing a chill. His guitar shook inside its case. "H-hey, that's kinda cold you know, after all, I did help out with finding that voodoo doll of yours so the least you could do is greet me normally."

"But I am greeting you normally, this is how I greet creepy people like you who call my prized possession a voodoo doll. What do you want with me anyway?"

The boy finally let out a short sigh of defeat and said, "Is the transfer student around?"

After hearing Yoshiya mention that person, the girl's shoulders jerked briefly but the boy didn't notice. "N-n-no he isn't. He hasn't come in nearly a month."

"Ah, is that so? What the hell is that idiot doing?" The boy scratched the back of his head in frustration. _He better not be slacking off. Oh, wait. I was the one who said he should relax more. Should I be praising him instead?_

The girl's expression changed now that she remembered that fact. Her voice started trembling a bit. "I'm really worried... There's been a rumor going around lately."

With a side long glance, Yoshiya looked at the girl with a bemused expression. "A rumor?"

"It's about the transfer student. Some of my classmates saw him out late at night going who knows where. They say he has been meeting up with suspicious people."

"Ugh... What a pain. Seriously, what is that guy doing?" The boy muttered as he scratched his head. "Last I saw him was when we split back at District 10 but that was practically a month ago just like you said."

"Hey... do you think what they're saying is true? That he joined the Skill-Outs?" Meme said in a soft voice.

Yoshiya considered the idea for a bit, twisting his head as he juggled the idea around. But in the end, he said in an extremely bored tone, "That guy? No way. He's too much of a pansy to be joining some gang, much less the Skill-Outs. He's probably just soul searching out there somewhere in hopes of becoming an esper. Yep, I could definitely see him right now, pedalling on his mountain bike while wearing swimming trunks beside the sea."

"I honestly don't think anyone in their right mind would ever do that. Moreover, only types like you would think up of doing such ridiculous things. How could you even joke around like that at a time this anyway?!"

"Hey, hey I was only kidding. There's no way he would stoop that low, right?" Yoshiya quickly took back his words in order to restore the girl's faith in him. "That guy is like a hardworking student trying to get himself into Harvard or something."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Meme with downcast eyes. "He's really desperate on becoming an esper. I thought he had finally gone on the deep end and quit altogether even though it hasn't even been a year since his transfer."

After watching the girl fidget for a bit, the boy spoke in disinterest as if he had heard this story before. "It's called 'The Climb'."

"Huh?"

"It's what most of us Level 0's call the feeling of overwhelming desperation when we can't climb up a level. It's like having the feeling of something within reach but always having it slip through your fingers each time. You can say it's sort of like a disease of pure obsession."

"... Did you just make that up?"

Yoshiya was met with pitying eyes.

"Oi! Can't you trust me for even a second?!"

The boy shouted, but Meme brushed the comment off before moving her gaze to an empty seat beside the window near to her own. "Hey, can you tell him something if you see him?"

"What is it?"

The girl fidgeted. "Tell him I said thanks, you know, for helping me."

Yoshiya narrowed his eyes and gave a nonchalant shrug. "Sure."

* * *

The door creaked open and two girls entered.

The space was an office filled with several desks, boxes, couches, and computers.

"And, here we are. This is our workplace, Judgment's 164th branch office. This is where you will be working from now on." A girl wearing a high school uniform and glasses named Mifune Hisako turned to the other girl behind her. "I honestly didn't think you would join us, Haruka."

" Why not? I was really eager to join Judgment when you mentioned it at the airport, Mifune Hisako-senpai." Tatemiya Haruka, a girl with long shoulder-length hair spoke cheerfully.

"Uhh... well I just didn't think you were the type to take things seriously. And just call me 'Hisako', we're both first-years after all. Oh by the way, that's Hajime Kaiji, our chief here at the branch." Hisako pointed towards a boy wearing a flat hat sitting at the far corner of the room, engrossed in reading some documents.

The boy gave a small wave without turning away from the documents and Haruka bowed in response.

Haruka looked around the office. The place was stacked with various documents she could only assume were important documents related to incidents in Academy City. There was also a whiteboard at the corner of the room with a map of a specific area of Academy City pinned onto it by a magnet with several portions of the map marked with red lines. Seeing all those gave her a general idea of how intense a work being a member of Judgment was.

"Huh? I thought there were four of you? Where are the others?" She gave a quizzical look to the Judgment girl wearing glasses.

"They're out doing their rounds. You can expect yourself to be making patrols as well in the future, but for now, you can just observe how we do things here. Anyway, let me show you around."

The two high school girls walked around the office as Hisako pointed some things to Haruka.

After a short break, Mifune Hisako was quietly approached by Hajime Kaiji with folder in hand.

"There's been another incident. Two victims were found brutally injured in a back alley near the border between District 15 and District 7. Both of them were moved to a hospital shortly after and, being barely able to speak, none of them were able to give a clear description of what had happened," said the boy unemotionally. His eyes were half-closed. One would mistake him to be half-asleep.

"Another one?! Is it from the same assailants as before?"

"Most likely. There were traces of chemicals to make smokescreen around the scene of the crime so the pattern of the attack is most likely the same."

"What's going on?" Haruka interjected.

Hisako looked at her and rubbed her temple, trying to figure out how to neatly explain the difficult subject to the new recruit. Once she made up her mind, she gestured for the girl to follow her, Hajime Kaiji followed quietly as well.

They stopped in front of the whiteboard Haruka saw earlier and Hisako pointed at the red markings just as Haruka pulled out a chair to listen. "There has been a string of incidents lately. Students of high ability level from all over Districts 15 and 7 have been ambushed and beaten up late at night by a group of unknown people. We suspect they are Level 0's."

"That's... that's terrible!" Haruka's eyes flared out with a tinge of anger. She stood up from the chair and clenched her fist. "Ambushing people like that late at night and beating them up for no reason is only what a cowardly bastard would do! When I get my hands on them, I'll be sure to pay them back tenfold!"

"Yes, yes, I get what you mean," said Hisako, motioning for the new recruit to sit back down, "so please sit down and cool your head because I can feel your heat wave from here!"

Hajime Kaiji, who was closest of the two from Haruka, was quietly wiping his sweat off with a handkerchief while trying to tolerate the sudden heat the girl was generating with her powers. Haruka noticed this and sat back down, blushing in embarrassment.

Hisako cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, the weapons they use vary depending on the... Yes?" She turned towards Haruka who was raising her hand.

"How did you find out they were Level 0's?"

"There were no indications that they used special abilities." Kaiji replied monotonously.

Haruka furrowed her brows quizzically at Hajime Kaiji's quiet remark but Hisako added further from what the chief had left off. "They used weapons or tools such as smokescreens or stun guns to compensate for their lack of ability and to get an advantage on their victims. The last victims were a Level 4 Electromaster and a Level 3 Telekinetic however they were still able to defeat them despite their lack of powers. We assume they study their victims' powers beforehand in order to come up with a strategy to counter their powers."

"How many exactly are they?"

"We suspect about 3 to 4 people. They operate at night around Districts 15 and 7."

"Are they what people call Skill-Outs?"

"What we call them doesn't really matter, they're still breaking the rules of Academy City." Hisako shrugged. "Haruka, you should be careful from now on, you fit with the description of their victims so they may attack you as well."

Tatemiya Haruka bolted up from her seat. "There's no way I'm going to let myself lose to a bunch of cowards!"

"Haruka!" A loud and angry voice escaped the lips of the girl wearing glasses. "This is a serious matter! Life is at stake here so you can't just act recklessly!"

Haruka shrunk back and nodded nervously. "I-I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't get in over my head."

"I'm glad you understand. It'd be bad if a friend of mine had her face crushed in and got sent to the hospital. But, well, that might teach you a lesson in being wary and shut you up... ku ku ku ku..."

"Uhhh... err.. Hisako-san? What happened to that wonderful display of friendship just now? And what is that evil miasma coming out of you?!"

"Please have someone accompany you every time you are out of school, do not stay out late at night, and when you are heading to the office after school, please avoid alleys or any dark places out of reach from public or they might attack you as well." Hajime Kaiji spoke monotonously, failing to show any kind of concern from his face, but they knew the boy was just not very good at showing his emotion.

"Anyway because of the recent attacks, we will be conducting late night patrols in order to prevent any more incidents involving them. You will have to stay here in the office tonight."

"Eh? I thought you told me not to stay out late at night?"

"Don't worry. We'll escort you out of the office once our operation is done. They won't attack as long as there are enough people around you."

"Alright..." After getting her orders sorted, Haruka nodded, but something came up in her mind so she raised her hand again. "Umm... It's kind of confusing calling them without a name. Can't we decide a name for them?"

The two experienced Judgment members looked at each other and nodded.

"They call themselves the Black Wolves."

* * *

A small sound of a bell clang rang throughout the shop.

The smell of coffee immediately entered Yoshiya's nose as he entered a shop that is reminiscent of a pub in western countries. He immediately sat at the wooden stool in front of the counter, placing his guitar case next to him.

There were no other customers except for him so business looked like it was slow but the owner of the shop, doubling as the bartender, a man in his late 20's, didn't seem all that concerned.

"Yo, tequila on the rocks," ordered Yoshiya to the bartender and shop owner who was polishing a glass mug at the long, narrow counter.

The man had a newly cut goatee and wore an apron over his semi-formal clothes.

"That one's too obvious, try another."

"Uhh... well then, how's a martini?"

"Nope."

"Bourbon?"

"Still too obvious. Why do you keep sticking to liquor anyway? You know Academy City prohibits the majority of shops from selling liquor to prevent students from drinking."

"Who the hell do you think suggested hiding my transactions with code names in the form drinks in the first place?!"

"You know how I am. I'm afraid of _them_ watching us." The shop owner eyed the security camera at the corner of the pub. "Plus, one of my customers, Saten Ruiko-chan, seems to like it. Oh, you don't have to use code words when buying a drink by the way. You only use them when you want information or rumors from me."

"You're just extremely paranoid as usual. Imaginary Number District? Level Upper? Nanomachines that monitor every inch of Academy City? A guy who can nullify any kind of power? What a load of bull. These rumors you spread are like some nutjob's fantasies." Yoshiya said as he angrily tapped on the polished bar counter. "Who's 'them' anyway? The board chairman of Academy City? Don't make me laugh."

"Well suit yourself. Everyone is entitled to his opinion. So what brings you here? I thought you had a gig."

"The gig's been cancelled. Our vocalist fell into a coma for some reason and had to be transported to a hospital."

"That's a shame." The shop owner placed the mug down and poured in some iced tea which he then slid over to the boy.

"Yeah, I hear a lot of similar cases like that recently. Anyway, I came here to ask you if the transfer student came by recently."

"The transfer student? Nope, haven't seen him."

"Figures..." Yoshiya took a sip of iced tea from the mug.

After a while, the shop owner took out a bill from the cash register and placed it in front of the boy. "Hey, can you read this one for a bit?"

Yoshiya sighed after taking a glance at the bill. He took out a metal guitar pick from his wallet and placed it over the bill without removing his fingers. With closed eyes, he began concentrating on his task and gave his results after a few seconds. "... Just a teacher at some cram school. Don't know where though. Seriously, you're way too paranoid, even resorting to investigating your own customers."

The shop owner gave an impressed whistle after he heard the details of the owner's bill which he had no idea of. "You've been really good at this lately."

"Gee... I wonder who I should thank for that?"

The shop owner placed the bill back in the cash register. "If the transfer student were here, I wonder if he would be jealous?"

"Who knows?" said Yoshiya in disinterest.

"He reminds me of you when you were just starting out- Always serious and studying like that."

"I was nothing like that."

"'The Climb', was it? He must've been having a hard time, probably doesn't even have any friends aside from you. But if you think about it, he's actually pretty bright, unlike you. You're good at finding pieces of information but he's good at actually piecing those together."

Yoshiya finished the drink and watched the soccer game being shown on the TV at the far left of the counter. "Everyone's got their own talents. Speaking of which, some say he has been seen out late at night. Though, he's probably just going to some brothel and having fun."

The shop owner grabbed the mug and set it aside. "That reminds me of a rumor I've been hearing a lot lately. Well it's not really a rumor, it's an actual event that has been happening."

The boy turned his attention back to the shop owner and gave him an annoyed look but the shop owner brushed it off.

"Supposedly, there's been a group of thugs calling themselves the Black Wolves attacking high level espers."

"Black Wolves? Never heard of them. What? You think the transfer student is involved?"

"Well, it's a possibility. With that brain of his, he could become some kind of criminal mastermind don't you think?"

"..."

Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall of the pub, Yoshiya said in a bored tone, "I guess he could, huh? But it's not like he'll just become some damn Skill-Out without some good reason, there's probably someone pulling his strings from the shadows. Investigating this will be such a pain."

The shop owner grinned in delight. "Now we're talking!"

The clock showed that it was currently 5:30 pm.

* * *

**END AN:**

**For those of you who are confused which characters are canon and not canon, here's a list of the non-canon to get you sorted out.**

**Non-canon:**

**Takayama Akito**

**Tatemiya Haruka**

**Athena**

**Atsuchi Tomoya**

**Tsuyuri Aki**

**Mochizuki Yoshiya**

**Mashiro Meme**

**Mifune Hisako**

**Hajime Kaiji**

**Yamagishi Kairi**

**Mitogawa Hideki**

**Yamazaki Maya**

**Shin**

**Mikoshiba**

**Jun**

**Saki**

**Nagato**

**Mori**

**Susan Fairchild**

**Pub owner**

**REBEL**

**Thanatos**

**Nemesis**

**Black Wolves**

**EOF.**


	18. Beginning: Protocol Override

**Yeah! Finally! I managed to update without going beyond two weeks!**

**Thank you all for reading thus far!**

**Just in case some of you are confused, this arc is happening in the middle of summer!**

**So far, there hasn't been a canon appearance for a long time and why? Because I want them to be involved in the plot itself and not just make cameos and having them appear all the time kind of takes away the novelty, know what I'm sayin'? (I just realized there are a lot of references in this chapter but that is a different matter) Plus I want my own characters to develop and show their stuff.**

**I am working on improving my writing so reviews or criticisms are very much welcome(Thanks Sargent Crash!)**

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Beginning: Protocol_Override**

* * *

The bright morning sunlight nearly blinded him as he made his way to his school. Still shaken up, his legs trembled and seemed like they were going to give way. He had thought of going to the hospital the day before, but he didn't in the end.

He had never known what having a trauma felt like until after going through a hostile attack in the hands of the special ability users known as espers. That must have been the first time he had experienced the raw power of an esper.

Before coming to Academy City he had no idea what he was going to get himself into. He had only heard that Academy City, the city of cutting edge science, had a way of giving children like him supernatural powers. Of course, this sounded too good to be true but it was. But then, he wondered how such a system could be integrated into the lives of people so seamlessly. Surely there was some kind of oversight in the entire thing. Regardless whether it was true that humans were good at adapting or not, surely there were some problems with security and public safety regarding the usage of psychic ability.

Academy City took note of this and created the organizations that would protect the peace, Judgment and Anti-Skill.

Had Judgment or Anti-Skill been there, he wouldn't have to suffer and would not have been mocked at and loathed by someone.

Had they been there, his entire body, from his head down to his feet, wouldn't be trembling this uncontrollably.

But he did not blame them. Indeed, he would have been saved without fail had they been there so they were not at fault. It was these espers that were the problem. These violent espers were a threat to those without any powers like him. Yes, that was it. If only these espers weren't here then he wouldn't have to suffer.

_Do you want power?_

Before coming to Academy City, he had no idea that there exists a certain hierarchy in the system. Espers were treated differently based on their level. It was undeniable that those at the bottom would suffer at the hands of those at the top.

_If you want power to survive in this city, then you only need to do one thing, take my hand._

Amidst the turmoil in his mind, a savior called out to him_. _The only way he would be able to protect himself from such a harsh environment was to either get rid of those at the top or gain the power of those at the top. He reached out to that hand that was surrounded by purifying light in order to grant his wish. His trembling was cured by this savior and he was promised the power he longed for.

_"_Are you alright, leader?"

When he heard that voice, he didn't know if he had opened his eyes, or if he was even sleeping for that matter. It's as if reality just switched itself. He found himself looking down at a dismantled phone on his lap and with several tools around him. A part of the phone was connected to a drum-shaped robot to his left. He was on top of a large wooden crate

"You don't look so good," spoke a girl crouching in front of him on top of that crate. She had brown shoulder-length hair, black jacket with a black hood, and pants.

He slowly moved his head up in an unsteady motion. His black hood hid his vision slightly. "... I'm... fine." The words that came out of his mouth had a certain lag in between them. The girl who woke him noticed this and had her suspicion raised. He then reached for his pocket in a slow manner, took out a small black pill from a case, and put it into his mouth. The light in his eyes returned. "Don't mind it."

"Well, alright then. Do you still remember our names? I hear you're very absentminded."

The boy frowned after hearing that remark.

"Alright, to remind you, my name is Katagiri Rina and my sister's name is Katagiri Chie. She won't be joining us for tonight, I hope that is okay."

"Yeah, I know." The boy spoke with a hint of exhaustion. "Where's Enma?"

That boy was the leader of a group of Level 0's who attack high-level espers at night, the Black Wolves.

The two were inside a large empty building filled with various construction equipment, most likely a warehouse. It was a building that had been abandoned due to the company owning it had gone bankrupt. A small light bulb hang above, illuminating them in that dim space.

"I don't know where that suspicious person is. He spouts a lot of things I don't understand about eliminating the vermin known as espers, like some estranged cultist, yet he doesn't even arrive on time for our missions. So what were you doing with all these?" The girl pointed at all the various tools and electronic parts around them.

Looking back down at his phone and disconnecting the wire attached to the robot, he spoke, "I'm working on a prototype for the new voice recognition system so I don't have to tap the commands anymore. My phone will transmit a signal to these robots whenever I voice out a command."

In the same instant the wire disconnected, the robot fixed the position of its three wheels and jumped out of the crate, leaving the warehouse-like building.

"So our force is growing stronger..." Returning her gaze towards her leader, she spoke in a quiet voice, "Hey, leader, will we really achieve our goal in destroying the hierarchy of Academy City?"

"I don't know. To achieve it, we have to defeat _them _in the end after all."

"The seven Level 5's of Academy city huh..." The girl said as if losing all hope. "Is it really possible for us to do that?"

The boy replied emotionlessly as he fixed his phone back up. "I only have knowledge of the Number Three Railgun, Number Five Mental Out and the Number One Accelerator, and as far as I can tell, it will be extremely difficult. The Electromaster we fought last night relied too much on raw power electric attacks, but that's not the same for the Railgun from what I've heard. The Railgun doesn't just use electricity for attacks but for creating an electric field that can detect objects and people's presence in a certain range like radar, as well as for mobility via magnetism, not to mention that her power output is much higher. I can probably create a homing bomb which exploits that magnetism or something that can deflect her powerful electricity, but that is only for the Railgun, I still haven't thought of the rest yet. If only the data on the Level 5's were not put on such a high level of security in the Bank, plus there's that Goalkeeper too, things would be easy."

"Oh, I know who the Number Two is. He's name is Kakine Teitoku; his power is called Dark Matter," Rina said after suddenly remembering that fact.

"Dark Matter? What is that?"

"Yeah, they say it's a power to create matter which does not exist in this world."

The boy furrowed his brows in confusion, "What?"

"He can create physical objects made out of matter which does not exist in this world, Dark Matter. And since it does not exist in this world, it follows a different set of laws that, I think, works differently from Quantum Physics although I'm not really sure if this is all true or not."

The boy continued his confused and slightly annoyed expression. "That sounds like a troublesome power."

"I've heard that he often makes wings out of them. You better remember this, leader, W-I-N-G-S. It might save your life someday."

"Alright, I got it. Even though it's highly unlikely I'll just randomly come across him."

"Then what about Accelerator?"

Still fixing his phone, he scowled when he heard that name. "It's impossible to fight him head on without an absurd amount of proper preparations. The Number One's ability, Vector manipulation, is an ability that can deflect any physical force no matter what magnitude. Hypothetically speaking, if a nuke dropped down on him, he'd still be able to walk away from the aftermath and brush it off like it was nothing."

"Really?! That really sounds like an impossibly strong power! How would you fight him then?!"

"I don't. Fighting against a Level 5 one-on-one is pure recklessness. So deceiving a Level 5 is the next logical option and..."

"And..?!"

"Other than that, I would just run away."

Rina slumped her shoulders after hearing that, but she figured it made sense that a Level 0 like her cannot hope to fight against the strongest esper in Academy City.

"What's wrong?"

Katagiri Rina felt her motivation dropped suddenly. Making a face of resignation, she spoke, "... Hey, leader, what is your reason for hating espers that you joined us in our goal in disrupting the esper hierarchy?"

"... They flaunt their powers so much that those without any are discarded and stepped on like shit. We can't survive with them around so I want to chop their numbers down to tell them to back off... What about you?"

"I... " Rina felt an unpleasant feeling growing within her that was stopping her from saying what she was trying to say. There were some unpleasant memories which she didn't want to remember but she faced them in the end in order to regain her resolve. "I wanted to protect my sister."

"Protect... your sister?"

"That's right..." She spoke, forcing a smile. "Originally, I didn't want her to join us but she was so insistent despite it being extremely dangerous. I want her to achieve her dream of becoming a famous idol now that our parents are gone. I've told you this before, right? Our parents were attacked by a rogue esper when we were little, leaving us as Child Errors. I want to prevent that from happening again."

In a quiet voice, the boy spoke, "That's terrible. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Wiping a bit of tear in her eyes, she asked in a smile. "... But lately, I've been thinking that maybe we should stop this after all. We can keep defeating espers every single night but we can't keep this up for the rest of our lives righ- "

"No one's quitting, and no one's running away from a fight."

A voice echoed from the corner of that building.

They turned their heads and saw a boy with violent spiky red hair approaching them. He wore their signature black hooded jacket.

"Enma..." In a spiteful tone, Katagiri Rina muttered under her breath.

The boy known as Enma let out a carefree smile. "We can't run away and we can't quit now because we have a duty to fulfill. These horrible espers must be eliminated or else us Level 0's will continue to suffer."

Rina sensed something foreboding in his words. This was the boy who urged her to join and appointed the boy in front of her as the leader in their operations.

"I've found a new pest which needs to be eliminated."

The two hopped down the crate and fixed the equipment they may need in the operation. This building was rundown and has not been in use for a long time so they decided to make it their base. The equipment they use was stored within the cardboard boxes laying around the area.

While Rina was busy organizing her things a fair distance away, their leader approached Enma and spoke in a quiet voice. "Yet again, we've finished another mission. Now can you give me the thing you promised?"

Enma smiled and slowly retrieved a small MP3 player with a pair of earphones plugged in from his pocket. "Alright, I'm satisfied with what we have accomplished so far so I guess you've earned it. I haven't tested it myself yet but I've verified that it definitely works, I promise." He handed the music player to the hooded boy.

The leader glanced down at the MP3 player and eagerly placed on the earphones on his ears. A curious sound emitted from the tiny speakers, one that he was certain wasn't music or anything remotely familiar. "How long does it take before the effects start to kick in?"

"About under an hour or so."

Facing the group, he silently put the music player into his jean's pocket and spoke in a commanding voice. "Then let's begin. The mission is the same as usual. Let's overthrow the esper hierarchy of Academy City!"

And thus, the Black Wolves made their move.

* * *

"Can't this thing go any faster?" As he said that from the back seat of a small ecological car, a lanky teenager delivered a kick to the driver seat in frustration.

Ignoring the hostility from the teenager, a man in his late 20's spoke, "It can't be help. There's a small traffic jam up ahead. Anyway, I like this; Pub owner by day, super secret detective by night- I live a dangerous double life chasing the mysteries of Academy City to uncover the truth behind it all. Also, I have the movements of Judgment and Anti-Skill monitored on my radio so we can follow them the minute they start moving."

"You do know that this is the peak business hours of pubs, right?" said the boy known as Mochizuki Yoshiya.

"I-I... regret my decision."

"Well it's not like you get any customers."

"Okay, okay, enough of that. Can we go over what we know? What are Skill-Outs and what are their usual hideouts?"

Yoshiya sighed and spoke, "They're a gang of idiots who despise espers. Their reputation is very much known among the Anti-Skill and Judgment. And they give us Level 0's a bad name. I was once mistaken for a Skill-Out you know!"

"Well you do look the part."

"Anyway, they usually hang out at District 10. There's a place there called 'Strange'. A gang called Big Spider was said to have a hideout there."

"You think that he hangs out there along with his group?"

"Just because he's a Level 0 just like them doesn't mean they'll naturally get along. There's no way he'll surround himself with a bunch of bird-brained delinquents."

Yoshiya noticed small rain drops starting to fall on top of the windows of the ecological car.

After a while they stopped in front of a certain dorm in District 7.

"I can't park here so I'll just circle around. Call me when you're done and I'll pick you up," said the pub owner before driving off.

The teenager ran in the middle of the rain towards the dorm and stopped in front of the transfer student's dorm room. He moved his hand to knock on the door but stopped midway and brought out a metal guitar pick instead. Without removing his fingers from the pick, he placed it on the door knob and began using his ability, Psychometry, an ability that was very common in Academy City. It was an ability that can read information from a person's mind or from objects.

"... Seems like the last time he was here was a few weeks ago... Or was it last week? Damn, using this ability is tough. Well anyway, it's not locked so that makes things easy." After muttering that, he turned the door knob and entered the room. It was a plain room that didn't have a single hint of being lived in. The bed sheets, curtains, and even the kitchen were so neat that one would mistake that the room has yet to have a tenant.

Yoshiya began inspecting the desk at the far left of the room and found several papers. "Esper research notes? Are these notes about an esper's Personal Reality and stuff? There's one for Telekinesis, Electromaster, and... 'Tatemiya Haruka'? This sounds like a girl's name. Is he stalk- I mean, observing someone too?" He placed the guitar pick on each of them and used his ability but he didn't get any valuable information.

After going through all the papers, he found one that stood out. He stared at the title of the document and realized that it was not a research paper but a System Scan report from an institute outside his school. The report contained the grades of the transfer student. Just like usual, he failed in every subject. "Due to special recommendations, the student will be requested to meet up with assigned power developer inside and outside his school for... as well as take the recommended medications he was asked to consume... the student is expected to undergo frequent scans while being monitored by said power developer, and participate in every other examination without fail... The student thereafter will provide necessary data such as samples of AIM diffusion field, samples of DNA, and others upon request."

After finishing the report, he furrowed his brows and used Psychometry on it. "This one was written sometime after we split at District 10... Did seeing his grade fail for the sixth time drove him to becoming a Skill-Out? He's infected with The Climb after all so it's possible. On the other hand, this paper, it's strange for a researcher to take an interest in a Level 0. It isn't uncommon here in Academy City for scientists to assign themselves a specific esper for research but that's only true for espers with unique powers. And though there are some Level 0's with small abilities, the transfer student doesn't have any powers at all….."

"..."

"..."

"Oh? Is this an issue of A Certain Magical Index SS: Necessarius Special Entrance Exam? I didn't know he read light novels too."

"..."

"…."

After looking through all the transfer student's belongings, Yoshiya slumped on down on the bed. "This is getting me nowhere. I can't find anything about his hideout from all his stuff. "

Suddenly, his phone vibrated from within his pocket. He picked it up and found that it was from the pub owner.

"There's some trouble going on at District 15!"

* * *

Several minutes ago...

The downpour of rain suddenly began around Academy City. A flash followed by a loud roar of thunder occasionally reverberated on the storm-infested sky.

The urban area of District 15 was illuminated by various streetlights.

"Please, what do you want from me?! I haven't done anything wrong!" A boy wearing a uniform from some middle school cried out as he desperately ran through a small street of District 15 at night.

The rain poured down on him mercilessly as he tried to shake off his pursuers whom were wearing black hooded jackets. There were two of them and he wasn't able to see their faces because of the hoods covering the upper portion of their faces.

The area was a part of District 15 that was not often visited by people. In other words, it was a desolate area where if one were to call for help, it is unlikely that it will arrive.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" A maniacal laugh escaped the mouth of one of the hooded people. "Where are you going, you pig of an esper? Why don't you just accept your punishment already?!"

Gritting his teeth, the middle school boy swung his left arm in an arc towards them.

A wide, transparent crescent sliced through the air and rushed towards the hooded figures at an alarming speed.

In reaction to this, they jumped and evaded the attack just as it approached them.

_If I could only increase the velocity in my legs as well, I could outrun them but the increase will be proportional to how much force I swing each of my individual legs and since they're not the same it'll be really complicated._ The middle school boy ran towards an alleyway.

He desperately ran with all his strength with his breath growing weaker, until the alley eventually split into two. As he stopped and turned his head in choosing which direction he should take, the wet footsteps of the pursuers gradually became louder by the minute.

_This one! _He began running towards the right but he suddenly stopped after seeing the hooded person standing a few meters in front of him.

That person was none other than the leader and key member of the group pursuing him, the Black Wolves.

Without wasting time, the leader made a swift motion.

"Metal Type: Saucer," he quietly muttered just as he rolled three metallic spheres on the ground towards the boy. The spheres raced through the wet asphalt of the alleyway and began changing shape. Deathly blades erected from the middle of the spherical objects, turning them into vertical chainsaws and rotating at even higher speeds. The alley was then filled with horrible noises.

"!?" Seeing this, the middle school boy turned around and ran through the opposite direction with the spheres which have now turned into chainsaws and the hooded person after him. While running away from them, he swung his left arm again and a wide crescent made out of air struck the asphalt and created an explosion of dust and water, messing with the course of the chainsaws. He breathed a small sigh of relief, but he eventually saw the hooded figure emerge from the dust cloud and was still chasing him.

Passing through the previous point he stopped at where the alleys merged, he caught a glimpse of the other hooded people which have been chasing him from before. "Why? Why are they trying to kill me?! I was just passing through after I parted ways with my classmates!" He cried out in despair.

After running a few steps, he was finally able to see light as he was about to reach the end of the alley.

Just as he took a step outside, he spun around and swung both of his arms downwards. Two crescents made out of air appeared, creating a large explosion as it clashed with the asphalt. He hoped that this explosion will delay those people for a while.

He looked around and found himself finally in a place with some people. However, he could still hear the relentless footsteps of the group of people chasing after him.

The heavy rainfall made his clothes wet and concealed the amount of sweat he was pouring from his distress.

"... Ah! I-Is that a Judgment officer!?"

As she stood holding an umbrella, the Judgment officer named Yamagishi Kairi was approached by a boy who looked to be around middle school-aged from across the street. "Is there something wrong?" She gave a puzzled expression after noticing the distraught in the boy.

"P-please help me! A group of dangerous people are chasing after me!"

The boy named Enma coughed as he breathed in some of the dust that was caused by the explosion.

"Leader, that area is no longer an empty street. There are people that might get involved there if we keep going." Rina muttered as she fanned the dust away.

The leader stopped after hearing that until,

"No! We will keep on going! That esper must be punished or else us Level 0's will become extinct!" shouted Enma.

After a brief argument, the three rushed towards the end of the alley after the middle school boy.

Once out, they immediately saw the boy. Beside him were a Judgment officer and two Anti-Skill enforcers clothed in thick military-grade uniforms and carrying non-lethal riot guns pointing towards them.

"Please stop your activity right now and you will not get hurt!" shouted Yamagishi Kairi towards the Black Wolves.

Several onlookers began taking notice of the scene and got closer while still keeping a safe distance.

The three stood motionless in front of the dark alley until a disturbed voice broke the silence.

"Why are you protecting him?! He's an esper! You should point your guns at him instead!" shouted Enma in a bloodcurdling voice, taking a small step forward.

The middle school boy saw a glimpse of the hooded boy's disturbed face and shrunk back behind the Judgment girl in fear.

Beyond it all, below the sullen rain, a lone figure stood tall on top of the edge of the roof of a building in District 15. He was wearing something like a full body suit and helmet.

Despite the merciless rain, his focus remained on the crowd gathering down on the street below.

The stand-off between the Judgment member, Anti-Skills and the supposed Skill-Outs had gathered quite a bit of attention.

"What's wrong you damn esper?! Why don't you come up here and receive your punishment already?!" Enma shouted again. He slowly advanced despite the two Anti-Skills focusing their guns at him. "We're the ones doing Academy City a favor here! The Black Wolves will eliminate all these vermin which roams these-"

Interrupting that speech, the leader grabbed Enma's shoulder and pushed him back towards Rina, who then managed to catch him as he stumbled backwards, reluctantly.

The Anti-Skill suddenly became wary of him and refocused their guns.

He silently stood at the middle of that situation, gathering as much attention as he could.

While focusing their aim towards the boy's body, the Anti-Skills moved a bit closer with extreme caution but were still unable to completely see some of his features under that black hood.

Suddenly in a quick and fluid motion, he threw two smoke bombs on the ground. "Bomb Type: Shroud."

An immense cloud of black smoke filled the area, propagating with each passing second.

Panic started amongst the onlookers as Yamagishi Kairi and the two Anti-Skills tried to fan out the smoke for several minutes. But when it subsided, they found that the three members of the Black Wolves had escaped.

* * *

"Haruka! Wake up! We got an emergency call from Yamagashi-san!" A girl named Mifune Hisako desperately shook the girl who was sleeping on the couch inside Judgment's 164th branch office.

"Mmmhh... 5 more minutes, okaasan..." Tatemiya Haruka murmured as drool began to accumulate on her sleeping face.

Her cheek was suddenly pulled out of nowhere and she abruptly woke up to an angry Judgment senior.

"What's happening, Hisako-san?" Haruka said, still rubbing her cheek.

The two Judgment seniors grabbed their rain coats and umbrellas as Hisako spoke with an agitated tone, "One of our members, Yamagishi Kairi-san, has made contact with the Black Wolves in District 15 and is now requesting for backup!"

Grabbing her Judgment armband, Tatemiya Haruka suddenly switched her mental gears and clenched her fist. "Then let's go! I will protect the espers of Academy City as if my life depended on it!"

* * *

A great distance away from the opposite end of the alley, the three leaned on the walls of an apartment complex in exhaustion.

"Why did you stop me?! I could've handled them myself!"

"I'm sure you would." The leader quietly replied to Enma's annoying shouts as he gasped for air. He took out a pill from his case and swallowed it.

"Good going, leader!" Rina cheerfully thanked her leader while trying to catch her breath. "You're always quick to think on your feet!"

"This mission is a failure, we will retreat for now. I don't believe in things like omens but I have a bad feeling that things will get out of hand if we continue any further."

"No! We will wait for that esper to leave the aide of those Judgment and Anti-Skill, and strike once he lets his guard down!" Enma argued.

In an annoyed tone, Rina replied, "Are you serious?! We almost got caught thanks to you!"

Suddenly, they heard a couple of Anti-Skill sirens growing closer.

Their expressions changed once they heard that.

"We'll split up here. You two go on ahead, I'll try to focus their attention on me. And also, take different routes to avoid getting spotted," commanded the leader.

The group split up with the leader heading towards the sound of the sirens.

As he splashed through the wet streets, the leader glanced at his palm and gave a questioning look. _It's still not working? _He then took a pill from his case and swallowed it.

He noticed the sirens stop instead of heading further in his direction and peered over the corner of a building. That is when he saw two medium-sized dogs with something like long trunks attached to their mouths got out of the Anti-Skill's armored truck.

"Are those Anti-Skill's new trained dogs? No, those are droids shaped like Great Danes. Based on their appearance, they look like they specialize for pursuit," muttered the leader of the Black Wolves.

Suddenly the two Great Danes brought their heads up and faced his direction, as if noticing his presence.

"So they have enhanced vision. They probably have other sensors embedded as well so smoke bombs might not work." Wasting no time, he turned around and ran just as the Great Danes launched forward towards him from far away.

The Great Danes ran with great speed after the boy in the dark streets of District 15.

The area was dark and devoid of life since it was already late at night, but thanks to the illumination from the streetlights he was still able to get a good view of his surroundings.

Before heading towards the nearest alley, he threw a smoke bomb on the ground. But unfortunately, the Great Danes were not affected by this just as he had expected.

"Crap! A dead end?!" He stopped in front of a wall and looked around. He saw a fire escape ladder about a meter above to his left.

"This is Anti-Skill. We have recorded your appearance into our database so we will find you no matter where you go. Escape is meaningless so surrender." A human voice spoke from one of the Great Danes. The two now blocked the entrance of the alley.

_This is a pretty narrow alley. I doubt they will attack at the same time or they will hit each other. _The leader reached for something from his jacket's pocket.

In the next instant, the nearest of the two Great Danes noticed this and jumped forward, swinging its long trunk back in a wind up for an attack.

At the same time, the leader twisted his body to get under it and threw three metallic spheres towards its body which is still in midair. Long, sharp blades popped up from the middle of those spheres and spun around at frightening rates.

The blades made contact with the Great Dane's underbelly and made repulsive sounds. One of the spheres got deflected by the Great Dane's metal shell but the two managed to hit a different layer of armor and pierce through, sawing through the wires inside.

Shifting his body again, the leader delivered a kick to the Great Dane's side just as it landed in its staggering state, making it crash to the opposite wall.

Suddenly, the long trunk of the other Great Dane hit his forearm, wrapped around it, and swung it towards the other wall. His feet left the ground, but he held on despite being swung around like a doll. "Gwwaaahhhhh!"

His senses made a spiral of his surroundings. Somehow, this looked just like a rabid guard dog biting of a man's arm. His weight was not all that much and since his build was slightly smaller than other high school boy's, the mechanical Great Dane had no problem swinging him around midair.

Using all his weight, he raised the momentum of the swing and made contact with the wall with his feet instead of his entire body. The instant he did, he jumped down and pulled with all his might, making the droid lose its balance. Seeing this opportunity, he threw another set of spheres and their blades cut through all the sensitive parts of the Great Dane.

Before the Great Danes could recover, he quickly jumped and reached for the fire escape ladder. Once he positioned himself crouching on the ladder's steps, he jumped and got on top of the wall at the end of the alley.

After getting down on the opposite side of the wall and out of the alley, he was flashed by a bright and intense light.

He finally found himself cornered, back against the wall, by a dozen of Anti-Skills and drum-shaped security robots.

Their blinding spotlight hovered over him from the top of their armored trucks, making him something like the main actor at center stage.

Countless riot guns pointed at him from a fair distance despite the fact that the person they were aiming at was just a mere high school boy.

The air was stiff with tension on both sides as rain continued to pelt down on them.

"Put your hands up and don't make any sudden movements!" shouted one of the Anti-Skill he thought was their commanding officer through a loudspeaker connected to one of the armored trucks.

Just as he was told, he slowly put his hands up and stood still.

And then,

In a quiet voice,

He spoke,

"Protocol Override: Pin."

Suddenly, the light coming out from the eye-like cameras attached in each of the security robots' upper portion changed from green to red. A sudden change came upon the behavior of the security robots.

The robots turned their hostility from the leader of the Black Wolves to their allies, the Anti-Skill. They quickly rotated and fired a barrage of capturing nets at the Anti-Skills beside them.

The hooded boy watched them emotionlessly. _Protocol Override, this is the prototype system I created to manipulate these weird robots roaming around the city. It would be a shame to leave all these resources lying around when they can be useful instead. I just have to send out basic commands derived from chess moves._

"What the hell is going on?!" A helmeted man got rammed from the side by a security robot.

"What are these things doing?!" Another got shot by a wide capturing net.

"The robots have gone rogue!"

The Anti-Skill could not react in time and had their movements sealed.

"Protocol Override: Skewer."

The robots suddenly began ramming and shooting their weapons at the Anti-Skills.

Seizing this opportunity, he threw a smoke bomb towards the ground and a large black cloud-like smoke covered the entire battlefield.

* * *

The leader of the Black Wolves panted as he leaned on the wall of a certain family restaurant which was closed for the night.

He was now a long ways off from the previous area he had been.

He took a glance at his right palm and made a disgruntled expression. "Still nothing? He said the effects should be happening right now." He checked up on the earphones playing a weird sound on his ear before taking a pill from a case and swallowing it. "Actually, I've already investigated what was the average time it would take for it to work and it should be now just as he said, I was only testing him to see if he was a liar or not. Did he give me a fake? But why would he? The music file can be easily copied so he doesn't have to worry about getting his own."

He peered down again at his palm, opening and closing it as if waiting for something to happen until all of a sudden he heard soft footsteps from down the street gradually getting closer and closer.

"This is Judgment. You are one of the Skill-Outs called Black Wolves, correct? I'm arresting you for violence against the students of Academy City."

He heard a familiar voice. Turning his head to face the source, his expression changed to that of surprise.

"I repeat. I am Tatemiya Haruka of Judgment, and I came here to arrest you." The girl's angry face was showing under the yellow raincoat she was wearing. She clutched the Judgment armband pinned on the right arm of her raincoat. Steam and water vapor continuously floated up around her silhouette as the stormy rain poured down on her.

The wind steadily grew around the area.

The leader of the Black Wolves held the tip of his black hood down to further hide his face.

"Not answering, huh?"

Tatemiya Haruka suddenly rushed forward with great speed.

The hooded boy went on guard and put up a stance which was suddenly broken when the girl delivered a kick towards his head. He felt an intense heat for an instant. The arm which he raised to block the attack was not enough and he was soon blown to the left, crashing through the large window of the family restaurant.

He felt a bit of pain after having his head smash through the glass and the floor.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting the espers of Academy City?" asked Haruka while maintaining an expression of pure hostility.

The boy got up and replied, "Because espers attacked and nearly killed me once. They are dangerous. Because of them, Level 0's like me are treated like shit. And you're here to do the same aren't you?"

After hearing that, the girl's clenched fists stopped trembling and softened. She slowly got inside the family restaurant through the broken window.

"You see it now? Level 0's are nothing more than flunk experiments here in Academy City." The leader felt his chest begin to grow tight as he said those hurtful words.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the girl said with a hint of sadness. "I will take full responsibility for what that esper has done to you so for now, please let me escort you to the Judgment office."

"What?! You think I'll be satisfied with just that?!" Turning away from her, the leader ran towards the nearby stairs.

"Wait!"

Haruka chased after the hooded boy inside the dark family restaurant.

They made their way up the stairs until they both found themselves on the roof in the middle of the rain.

The boy felt a very strong wind blew past his face as he clutched his hood to prevent it from falling off. "Crap, I didn't think this through," he muttered under his breath.

"Please stop resisting!"

"Arghh! Just go the hell away! You're so annoying!" shouted the boy over the rain. "You're an esper aren't you?! Admit it! You're just looking down on us Level 0's! All you care about are your goddamn powers!"

Haruka took a small step forward on the slippery rooftop. "No! You're wrong! I never looked down on them!"

"Oh, yeah?! Why the hell should I believe you?!"

"Because I know a boy who is a Level 0 just like you," said the girl.

The leader of the Black Wolves grew wide-eyed after hearing her say that.

"I haven't been able to hang out with him lately because I was busy training to become a member of Judgment but I know for sure he's out there studying and working hard with all his might. I have always been looking up to him since middle school. Despite him being a Level 0, seeing him work so hard gave me the strength to face any challenge. And now, thanks to him, I became a Level 3. He is a Level 0, but I don't know anyone stronger than him!"

"B-but…." The boy's hands trembled as he heard each word. The sounds being produced by his earphones became filled with a heavy feeling of guilt as it reached his ear.

"Whoa, this wind is getting really strong, huh?" Haruka let out a smile as she tried to maintain her composure in the stormy wind. "Why don't we head back inside and talk? If you voluntarily admit your crimes, then- U-UWAAHHHHH!"

A vicious wind pushed the girl with immense force. She could not get a grip on the roof's wet flooring so she was blown all the way to the edge.

"H-HEY!" The boy quickly ran towards her and reached a hand out.

Haruka was able to grab the hand just as she tripped and fell off the roof.

They were on a three story building. If she fell down to the ground, it would be unlikely that she would survive.

"Hold on!" The boy tightly gripped the girl's hand with all his strength to stop her from falling.

"Wahhh! Don't let go! Whatever you do, just don't let go!"

"I won't, you idiot!"

Haruka was surprised when he heard the tone of the boy's voice. "W-wait… Are you…?"

With great difficulty, the boy pulled her up just enough for her to grab the ledge with her free hand and soon, she was safely up on the rooftop.

Collapsing down on the ground, they both tried to catch their breaths as they both lay down on the roof.

"A-ahem." Blushing, the girl pretended to clear her throat after realizing her embarrassing moment. "I must be imagining things because you reminded me of _him_. Anyway, as I was saying, please come with me to the Judgment office. You don't seem like a bad person so I will try and put in a good word for you as thanks for what you did. So please do as your told and…."

While still lying on the ground, she turned her head to her right to face the hooded boy but she had found out that he was not there anymore.

"….."

* * *

After sneaking away from the Judgment girl, he stopped in an alleyway with a blank expression.

_Did she really think of me that way…? Was I… wrong?_

He brought his hands up and gazed at his palms.

_No… no… no! Powers are everything in this world! Everything here is decided by your level! Because of this hierarchy, I'm nothing more than trash!_

He took out several pills from his case and swallowed all of them one at a time.

_That's right. If I have power, I won't have to deal with all of this. Damn it! Why won't these pills work?! H-he said that I should take them but what the hell do they?! They're supposed to increase my power, right? That's what a power developer does right?! He's a bumbling idiot but he's supposed to raise my power!_

"Yo."

Thunder roared out in the night sky as he heard that voice.

He turned around and saw a lanky boy with black wavy hair with eyes that seemed to criticize every single part of his existence with disgust.

"Joshua?"

* * *

**END AN:**

**And that concludes Chapter 18.**

**So what did you guys think? Was it boring? Thrilling? I know the Great Danes were used by a boy from the dark side named Baba but I wanted them to get a comeback somehow, the same goes for the Five Overs. Anyway, let's just say that the ones here are like Anti-Skill edition models.**

**And about Mochizuki Yoshiya, I made him to represent the perspectives of ordinary Level 0's, those on the opposing side of the Skill-Outs, which he will most likely be displaying next chapter. On a side note, you would think that such a major character like him would have appeared earlier at the present time but why hasn't he? Strange.**

**Thankfully, the next chapter is the last chapter of this Past Arc. I've been wanting to get back into the present timeline but this arc is very important so I could not skip out on it.**

**Please do drop a review or a PM about the story!**

**EOF.**


	19. Beginning: The Monster's Cry

**Hello again! Thank you all for having reached this point.**

**Well, I don't really have much to say about this chapter but that doesn't mean I think it's boring. Actually, I think it might have gotten stranger and deeper than I had originally imagined, it may even be too hard to fully grasp.**

**As always, please leave a review and some criticisms!**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 19 - Beginning: The_Monster's_Cry**

* * *

"Joshua?"

The sound of thunder reverberated in the night sky. Rain had started to die down but the weather still had ominous clouds.

The area was surrounded by darkness and the only source of illumination was the streetlights around the area. Thanks to this, he saw the tall teenager with shoulder-length black hair standing there with an expression filled with disgust.

He was not a member of Anti-Skill.

He was not a member of Judgment.

He was a Level 0 just like him.

He was one of those Level 0's who were below espers.

"So it is you." Hearing his annoying nickname, the boy named Mochizuki Yoshiya was able to confirm that the hooded boy really was the transfer student. He had planned to beat up the information out of the boy if it was not him, but he did not need to anymore. "Seeing you like this makes me feel sick." The boy gave an annoyed snarl as he looked down on the crouching boy wearing a hood that was even darker than ink.

The hooded boy narrowed his eyes and returned the pill case to his pocket in order to hide it from him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing. What are you doing hanging out with Skill-Outs and beating up random people?"

The boy's eye twitched. "Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to get rid of this esper hierarchy and free the Level 0's of their burdens."

"Hah?! I can't understand a single word you're saying. Did you hit your head in a post somewhere?!"

"Y-you?! Don't you understand that what I'm trying to accomplish is for you too?! Stop messing around!" The boy unsteadily got up, clenched his fist and angrily swung it towards the tall teenager.

Without much effort, Yoshiya moved his head and easily avoided the punch. That was the weakest punch he has ever seen in his entire life.

The hooded boy stumbled forward because of the momentum and collapsed down on his knees like a drunken man.

"You're pathetic."

"SHUT UP! Shouldn't you be concerned about this at all?! You're a Level 0 too so don't you think it's unfair that we are being pushed around by these espers?!"

Yoshiya lightly tapped his chin and pretended that he was immersed in deep thought about what the hooded boy said for a second. "… Ohhhhhh, that? Is that what this is all about?"

Hearing such an easy-going tone from him the hooded boy gritted his teeth in rage. "Open your eyes you dumbass! These espers are looking down on us because we're weak and we lack powers! Thanks to this hierarchy we're nothing more than trash here in Academy City! We're nothing more than defect experiments!"

"...… Yeah? So what?"

The hooded boy widened his eyes, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Are you listening to what you are saying?!"

In front of him was a Level 0 just like himself. And just like any other Level 0, he should know what the pains of being below the esper hierarchy felt like.

"Yeah, of course I am," muttered Yoshiya as he took a small step forward and lifted the boy up from the ground, roughly tugging on his clothes. The boy was in a very weak state and could not resist being pulled or escape from the other boy's hold. In a low voice that eventually grew louder and echoed through the damp streets of Academy City, the carefree Level 0 who the hooded boy had mistakenly thought had not gave a damn about powers or the esper hierarchy spoke, "… Don't tell me what it's like to be pushed around as a Level 0, you asshole. Of course I know what it's like to be shit on, how many years do you think I've spent here in Academy City as a Level 0, huh?! How many years do you think I've spent studying to progress my level that I bled from my eyes, huh?!"

Just as he said, Mochizuki Yoshiya had been studying as a Level 0 in Academy City even before his middle school days. He was a Level 0 for that long. He had undergone what every other Level 0 had so there was nothing he did not understand about the struggles of the Level 0's. All his hardships were delivered along with his words.

However, he did not know why exactly he was going through all this trouble after looking for the transfer student. He had searched around District 15 for him, following the movements of Anti-Skill and Judgment along with the owner of the pub he usually goes to. It was most likely because he had seen a part of himself in the transfer student. But also, above all else, he did not want Level 0's like him agonizing over the esper hierarchy and putting espers into a near death state for such an outrageous reason.

"We are below the esper hierarchy but that's no reason to be hurting other people, especially espers!" He slammed his fist square on the hooded boy's face.

With a loud thud, the boy landed and splashed on a puddle some distance away from him and an object came out of his pocket. His black hood uncovered his head and revealed his disorganized auburn hair.

"And who said Level 0's were weak, huh?! It's you who's really looking down on us! Did you know what Mashiro wanted to say to you? She wanted to say thanks for helping her. You didn't have any powers but you still helped her out even though you had nothing to do with her problem. How could you say that is weakness huh? And yet you even dared looked down on what you were really capable of. You're no Level 0, you're just a petty Minus!" He breathed in and took a brief respite after shouting out all his emotions. That was the first time he was so filled with frustration that his throat turned hoarse. After a while, he took a few steps towards the boy lying on the puddle, crouched down, and picked up the object that fell out of the boy's pocket which he noticed earlier. It was a small MP3 player.

He glanced at the screen and found that it was playing something very unusual. A disgruntled expression soon appeared on his face.

Title: Level Upper

Artist: Unknown

"This is... the Level Upper?" Yoshiya took out a metal guitar pick from his wallet and used it to do Psychometry on the music player. Images of an abandoned building, several people, and random conversations appeared in his mind in an unorganized fashion, like photos that have been carelessly dropped and scattered across a table. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was still at a low level that the images were scattered. Thanks to this, he didn't know in which order the images happened. "So the Level Upper really was a sound file, I guess the rumors the pub owner was spouting about was true. And you've been using it for a while now, I think, but haven't got any powers yet. You've really, really gone on the deep end now, transfer student." He took out his phone and called the pub owner, who then arrived at the scene with his small ecological car.

They took the unconscious transfer student into the car and drove off towards a pub in District 7.

The interior of the pub was stylized with Western furniture. There were plain wooden tables and chairs, small couches covered with soft red leather, black and white checkered flooring, and a long mahogany bar counter with an old TV at one end. Of course, since the majority of the population in Academy City were made of students, establishments such as this have more items on its menus for the under-aged than for adults, especially when it was out in the street near schools where it can easily be accessed by students. One could say that this was a pub for kids.

They laid the boy down on the couch and resigned themselves on the bar.

Behind the counter, the pub owner, who looked to be in his late 20's and yet very interested in rumors and mysteries of Academy City, glanced at the music player laid in front of him. "So that is the Level Upper huh. I never expected that I would see it in person. Have you tried it?"

"No way in hell!" denied the lanky teenager, "I'm not touching that thing. Who knows what will happen. I don't even care about increasing my level, especially if it's through cheating like this."

"Well what if the boost in your Psychometry allowed you to see deeper in the past?" The pub owner began getting excited. "What if you were able to see so far into the past that you could see a hundred years back?! No, a millennia?! NO! You could see the Big Bang! A Level 5 Psychometer can unravel the mysteries of the universe!"

From the tall wooden stool in front of the counter, Yoshiya ignored the pub owner's crazed ramblings and spoke, "So what are we gonna do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's currently wanted by Anti-Skill and Judgment along with his gang, and we just gave him a place to hide. We became something like accomplices now."

"T-that's right! We might get arrested if they find out!"

In an annoyed tone, the teenager spoke, "I guess there's no other choice then."

"What? Do you have a plan or something?"

The boy narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cold tone. "We'll have to turn him in along with the rest of the Black Wolves."

"B-but, isn't he your friend?! Are you just gonna sell him off like that?"

Clicking his tongue with the utmost irritation, he spoke, "What other choice do I have? If he's left free, he might go on creating a mess of Academy City. Even if they are small in numbers, the Black Wolves might eventually grow. More Skill-Outs might try and join them. If that happens, espers really might become endangered."

"But that's... Yeah, I guess there's no other choice. They've sent plenty of espers into the hospital, though, I have no idea what condition they are in now, but it must not be good."

Yoshiya glared at the music player before pulling out his metal guitar pick. "I still don't have enough information on them so I will have to gather some more." He placed the guitar pick over the music player and began hardening his focus. Several images appeared in his mind again, but this time, most of them were about the abandoned building he had seen before in his previous playthrough of the information in the music player. "Let's see, there's several high rise buildings... A lot of construction equipment... I think they're at the border between District 7 and District 15, based on the route this guy called Enma took. Everything is still fuzzy though but I'm sure that's where they are."

"You've gotten really good at it again." The pub owner stared with great amusement. Most people who ran businesses in Academy City and did not participate in the Power Curriculum Program were less exposed to esper abilities so it was quite rare for them so to see it up and close.

Yoshiya placed the guitar pick away from the music player. "For now, look after the transfer student. I'll try and... What? What's with that dumb look?"

"N-no it's just that..." With much nervousness, the pub owner pointed his shaking finger at the empty couch at the other side end of the pub. "He's gone."

In that same instant, the lanky teenager quickly turned his head towards that direction. "You've got to be kidding me!"

* * *

Academy City was the city of cutting-edge technology. 80% of its population were composed of students and most, if not all of them, were espers ranging from Level 0 to Level 5. They all participate in something that is called Power Curriculum Program. Those who administer this were all researchers and scientists whose sole objective was to investigate and learn more about an esper's special abilities.

For instance, there was something called AIM diffusion field, short for An Involuntary Movement, an invisible field of energy being involuntarily emitted by espers. This field holds tight relations to an esper's power. This was the source responsible for every special phenomenon espers create with their abilities.

Also, there was something called Personal Reality. It was a reality created by every student who undergoes the Power Curriculum Program and it allows the student to substitute normal reality with his own. It allows the esper to observe the world in a different way and create special phenomenon based on his observations, making it the source from which every esper's power came from, and thus, create AIM. Every student has his own unique Personal Reality.

For the purpose of gaining a deeper understanding for all of these, there was a conference being held in a certain part of Academy City.

The conference was being held in a very large venue which can easily accommodate a hundred people. And all these people right now wore either lab coats or business clothes.

These countless people of the scientific community listened intently to every theory, results and experiments the person in the podium was presenting except for two people, or rather, one man and one dog.

The two were sitting at the farthest portion of the conference hall. One of them was a handsome young man with slicked back jet-black hair on his late 20's. He wore a clothes fitting more of a businessman than a researcher along with his narrow-framed glasses. He had a carefree smile permanently plastered on his face. He would most likely be popular among young girls. Despite having his eyes fixated on the podium, there was no sign that he was actually listening or interested in the presentation, unlike the rest of the people attending.

Beside him was something(or someone) that couldn't have been expected to be inside a conference hall, or even a private building with strict security for that matter.

It was a dog, or more specifically, a golden retriever.

"How was your trip around the world?" Lying on the seat, a human voice, one of a grown man, came out from the golden retriever, fully ignoring the presentation. "Have you learned anything about their laws?"

Without looking at the golden retriever and without losing that carefree smile, the man spoke monotonously despite that happy expression. "Yes, I have. I also ran into a little bit of trouble once and they left a large scar on my body to remember them by."

"I see. You have done a lot in the past few years. You're determination is invaluable to our cause. If I remember correctly, you recently spoke of a possible plan of yours regarding that boy you found recently as a means to an end?"

"It is still in its theoretical stage so I have yet to give concrete details. Regardless, I am certain he is an interesting prospect. Finding him was difficult because of the characteristics of his AIM. There was an astronomically small fluctuating data point in his readings which indicated that his laws work differently, most likely one of those of extreme rarity. This data point was originally assumed as an outlier, an error, but thanks to his school's frequent scans, I was able to ascertain a distinction. I immediately took control of the scans in order to prevent information about him from getting exposed."

Despite that carefree expression, the young man remained formal.

Despite having an air of an outgoing child, every word which escaped from the man's lips were full of emptiness.

"Is that so? I have high expectations of you, Kyosu-kun. You are the other one fighting in the frontlines alongside me and the heir of the Kihara family after all, though you were only chosen because of your devotion and expertise in our field. On a side note, have you heard of that Level Upper Kiyama Harumi has been spreading around?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"I've heard your prospect has come into contact with it. Will this pose some interference in any way?"

The young man remained completely motionless throughout their conversation, as if he was just a mannequin. "None whatsoever. The Level Upper will connect its user into a network of AIM diffusion fields which will enable the user to share mental calculations with other espers of similar powers, and thus, raise the output of their abilities. However, the fluctuations surrounding his AIM, the Distortion Field, will prevent any form of connection to that network, and his abilities are entirely incompatible with the network so he will not experience any form of change. Of course, this field was invisible in his readings and will require special instruments in order to be properly observed which is why no one was able to find him up until now."

"I see... You are still young."

Finally, the man turned his head towards the golden retriever but in the most stiff fashion, almost like a doll. "Beg pardon?"

"You are still young and inexperienced. You will eventually make a mistake if you become too overconfident because of your devotion. Your pride as the heir is very obvious among us in the family."

"... I never make mistakes."

"In any case, don't get too ahead of yourself. Remember, you are not just the heir but the protector of Academy City as well. I am the sword and you are the shield."

The man faced the podium again. "Understood. I will protect Academy City from those people who possess strange laws at all costs through my initiative."

"So... where are you now?"

Despite being beside him,

Despite being in the same building as him,

Despite spending the entire time talking to him,

That curious question was brought up by the equally strange golden retriever.

This scene was already bizarre as it was.

And yet, none of the people in the conference hall took notice of this.

In response, the carefree expression disappeared from the man's face and was replaced with seriousness. "... I am currently observing an experiment."

* * *

It was now very late at night in Academy City.

The streets were nearly empty.

After running around Academy City, a girl known as Katagiri Rina finally breathed a sigh of relief as she found who she was looking for.

"Leader, perhaps you should just go directly to your dorm instead of the hideout," she said while having the leader's arms around her to support him.

"I don't want to go back. They'll probably be there waiting for me."

They made their way through the back alleys to avoid unwanted suspicion even at night.

In a soft voice, Rina said, "Perhaps we really should stop..."

Under that black hood, the leader remained silent, deep in thought. It was possible he was contemplating about all of it.

"I don't want to see you and my sister hurt so perhaps we really should stop. I'll try to find replacements for you so I can negotiate with Enma."

"... He won't let me leave if I wanted to. I'm that much valuable to him. So, I'll find replacements for you two instead, you and your sister..."

Despite those emotionless words, Katagiri Rina immediately grasped the meaning behind them.

Her cold and unemotional leader had a heart after all, even after pounding the skulls of a dozen espers. Their first meeting left her with an impression of a quiet and stoic boy who doesn't care for other people. Perhaps he only cared for Level 0's.

They eventually reached their hideout, an abandoned building most likely made to be a warehouse. At first glance, it looked like a grey box full of holes, rust and dirt.

They steadily walked across the rocky ground and opened the large steel door with a loud creak. Some wooden crates and construction equipment immediately went into view.

Passing through the gap between two giant pillars of old dusty wooden crates, they reached for part near the middle of their hideout, under that single light bulb that was on.

Laying the boy down on one side of the building beside a large wooden crate, Katagiri Rina pulled out some bottles of water from one of the boxes and handed one over to her leader.

With a reassuring tone, Rina said, "here, I will cast my dark powers onto this bottle to replenish your strength. The power of darkness is strongest after all."

"..." The hooded boy stared dumbfounded at the girl. "... What did you just say?"

"Oh, it's just a ritual I used to do when I was a kid. It's really nothing. It's best not to think too deeply on everything you know."

_... What do you mean nothing? Just admit you had middle school syndrome!_

With all the conflicts he had fought, the hooded boy was now finally able to rest. His entire body felt fatigue and his energy was almost depleted.

"I shouldn't really be on the frontlines after all," muttered the boy.

"That right, leader! Even I'm more athletic than you!"

"But you guys are so slow on the uptake."

"That's why you should quickly give orders to us."

"Well, at least the new voice recognition worked. Anti-Skill has a lot of manpower after all so it'll be difficult if this keeps up."

The boy took a sip from the water bottle with several thoughts in his mind. As he blankly stared at his hands, he recalled several words which struck him through his fights. What he was doing now really the right path? Was what he was trying to accomplish really attainable? He may fight the system day after day but Academy City was a city with a total population of over 2 million and 80% of whom were students, or espers, plus they were only a minor group among these 80%. It won't be long before Anti-Skill and Judgment find them.

After a moment, footsteps began to echo at the opposite side of the hideout.

A boy with violent spiky red hair wearing a black hooded jacket and pants appeared suddenly out of the pile of boxes and construction equipment.

"Well if it isn't our dear leader. You did a good job attracting the attention of Anti-Skill and Judgment from us." The boy named Enma smiled as he faced the rest of the members. It was difficult to read what he was really thinking under that facade of his. They didn't know a single thing about him except for the fact that he hated espers as much as they did, maybe even more.

Rina's expression turned into disgust after hearing those words.

"That's enough for the night. We'll continue tomorrow."

"Alright, alright." Enma shrugged. "By the way, about tomorrow..."

In an annoyed tone, Rina said under her breath, "We're still continuing..."

"What about tomorrow?" The hooded boy got up and threw the water bottle into a box they were using for storing garbage.

As if eagerly anticipating for those words, a rip-like smile tore through the boy's face. As he extended both of his arms on each side, he proclaimed, "I have found a new pest which needs to be eradicated!"

"So, who is it?" asked Rina in a bored tone.

That disgusting smile continued to be plastered on Enma's face. "It's an esper from a school in District 7. Many had said that she has great talent and was able to become a Level 3 in two short months."

At this point the hooded boy froze and his eyes widened. That description was vaguely similar to someone he knew.

"Her name is..."

Blood rushed throughout his body. His heart began to sped up, making big pumping sounds resound within him.

_It couldn't be...?_

That disgusting smile became even wider and the boy named Enma raised his arms. "Her name is Tatemiya Haruka."

Cold sweat ran down on the hooded boy's back. This person was definitely someone he knew and even more, it was someone whom he had known for a long time and transferred to Academy City with.

"Tatemiya Haruka?" Rina tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.

"That's right," replied Enma. "She will be our next target. I expect us to go all out on this one."

And then the space was filled with silence.

Their next target had been determined and they must act since that was part of their mission in order to overthrow the esper hierarchy of Academy City.

The three of them had a common goal and that was to seek revenge on the arrogant espers.

But then, there was a sudden shift in the flow.

Someone, for the first time, opposed their mission.

"Not happening."

That voice broke the silence.

The hooded boy, their leader, shook his head. "We can't."

The two members turned their attention towards him with a look of disbelief.

"What do you mean? Is there something we have to prepare for before we take her down? Is this about her powers?" Enma narrowed his eyes and looked displeased.

Rina continued to stare at the leader with worry.

"No, it's not that. We just can't attack her."

"Why?" Enma grew impatient.

"We just can't." The boy shook his head again. "We can go for anybody but her."

"... What are you trying to say leader? You want to spare this one esper for no reason?" asked Enma.

"That's... There is a reason..."

"Then what?"

The boy stood still in front of the two. He couldn't understand the reason for his sudden actions. This was wrong. He felt that all of this was wrong. He couldn't allow himself to attack her. She was an esper but he didn't hate her. There was not a tinge of anger or hatred towards her. For him, she was an exception. She was the only exception.

"She's a friend of mine and I don't want to hurt her," said the boy with resolve filled in his dead fish eyes. Those eyes were the ones that saw the cracked open heads of a dozen espers, and now, those eyes were the ones opposing the attack upon those same espers.

Enma furiously grabbed the collar of the boy and pushed him to the wall. "Leader, we are currently on a mission here. It's irresponsible for you to just impulsively create a hole in our plans. In order to overthrow the esper hierarchy, we must eliminate every single esper. That goes for Tatemiya Haruka as well. We will not leave any one out."

The boy gritted his teeth. "What if I said that I don't care, huh?! She's not getting involved in any of this!"

Suddenly a hand struck Enma's face and he was thrown off to the side.

Katagiri Rina stood beside the hooded boy.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Enma to the girl.

Rina put her hands to her sides and said, "I'm just following leader's orders."

With the look of someone who had just miserably lost all reason, Enma cried out, "You two?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOIIIIIINNGG?!"

And thus, the gears have turned for the three. Their entire system, mission, and goals have crumbled.

With an explosive sound, Enma blasted forwards and struck the hooded boy.

The boy felt his ribs cracked as that blow made a large impact on his body. Air was knocked out of him as he was pushed back again to the wall.

That speed and that power were not something that any Level 0 should have.

From Enma's right, Rina quickly responded and aimed a straight punch towards Enma's face but it was easily caught by his hand. Even though she put all her strength into that attack, it was easily blocked. This was definitely something that should not be happening.

"Are you two surprised?" While still grabbing the girl's fist, Enma swung his arm around and threw the girl to the other side of the building with unbelievable strength. Her body flew and hit a wooden crate to the side, smashing it open. "I thought I would test my new found powers I got from the Level Upper on you leader. What's wrong? Why don't you use that power you gained from the Level Upper already?!"

The boy wanted to speak but every inch of his body felt horrible pain.

The disgusting crescent smile returned to Enma's face."If I recall correctly, didn't you say before that you would run if you ever came face-to-face with the Number One? With that esper entitled as the strongest, Accelerator? Wouldn't you say that my power right now is similar to his? So that must mean you should run with your tail behind your legs right now, right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His laughter echoed throughout the abandoned building.

Gathering all his strength back into his throat, the hooded boy shouted, "Protocol Override: King's Gambit!"

Suddenly, two drum-shaped security robots appeared from the entrances of the building and charged straight towards Enma.

Turning to face the robots, Enma tossed the boy away and defended himself against the two ramming robots.

After his body landed on the floor a short distance away, the hooded boy forcefully got up, took three metallic sphere from his jacket's pockets and maneuvered around.

Due to his incredible strength, Enma didn't have a hard time punching holes on the steel bodies of the security robots. He turned to face the hooded boy and began charging forward.

Skipping back a few steps, the boy threw metallic spheres at the violent red haired boy. The spheres ejected sharp blades from the middle of their bodies and rotated at even greater speeds than they previously did like a chainsaw.

With unpleasant noises, the blades struck through the arms Enma was using to guard against them. His flesh should have been torn apart and sliced through, but they didn't. Instead, his arms were only covered with scratches and shallow marks. His face hardly showed any pain from those scratches the blades caused.

The hooded boy felt uneasiness after having his attacks deal little to no damage.

After deflecting the blades around him with his arms, Enma began a full sprint towards the boy. An expression overcome with murderous intent filled his face.

But then, just as he was a meter away from the boy, a large wooden crate suddenly pummeled him from the side and pushed him towards his left, sweeping him off his feet.

"I'm not entirely sure what's going on... But I'm pretty sure Level 0's should watch each other's backs on this one. And when I mean Level 0's, I mean those who don't have a screw loose!"

A lanky delinquent stood on the far side of the building with a big number of crates. Laying beside him was an unconscious Katagiri Rina leaning on one such crate. While the previous commotion was going on, it seemed that he had pulled her out from the rubble of broken wood where she previously landed and smashed on.

"He's the enemy in case you're asking," said the hooded boy with an extremely exhausted voice.

"Yeah, but I'm feeling some urge to throw one at you as well," replied Mochizuki Yoshiya.

With an explosive sound, Enma jumped from the rubble and flew through the air.

"Shit! I'm not really a battle type so I'm the worst at these kinds of situations. What the hell is he anyway?!" Yoshiya grabbed the unconcious girl and ran.

"Don't let him catch you or else your dead!" shouted the hooded boy as he reached for a cardboard box full of various tools and equipment.

Yoshiya ran with all his strength and left the spot he was in just as Enma crash landed there like a meteorite, leaving a small crater. Small debris flew through the air.

And then, multiple smoke bombs and spheres with saw-like blades sliced through the air towards the red headed boy.

"Gahh!"

The smoke bombs hit his outstretched arms and created a giant black smoke. Following this, the blades from the spheres made contact around his body. Because of the black smoke, he was unable to see or defend against the series of attacks from the blades.

"GAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

An unpleasant scream rang throughout the building.

From his knowledge about that new power Enma received, the hooded boy was sure that that attack shouldn't be able to create such a reaction from the other boy which meant that it must have hit a portion of his body that was vulnerable.

When the smoke cleared up, they saw blood dripping from the left eye of the red headed boy. The boy cringed with pain as his left eye was gravely torn away by the blades.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO TO ME!" Enma grasped his face that was now devoid of a left eye. "YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOOOOUUUUUUU!"

In a blind fit of rage, he rushed towards the hooded boy. His body trembled but nonetheless, his speed was so great that he immediately got in front of him.

His hand which held an insurmountable amount of strength grabbed the hooded boy's neck and slammed him towards the ground.

Air was knocked out of him once again and his consciousness grew weak after the back of his head collided with the ground but it didn't stopped there. Enma threw a series of punches at him.

_Shit...! I can't... go on...!_

Each of those punches had enough force to crush hard earth's bedrock. Because of that, his bones gradually creaked and broke with each passing second. It wouldn't be odd if his entire body was pulverized to dust after this.

Intense pain surge throughout his entire body. He didn't even have the strength to cry out. It felt like his entire body was numb from all the pain. His bones cracked and his skin swelled. He was on the edge of losing his grasp of reality.

"Get off him you asshole!" Gritting his teeth, Yoshiya threw another crate towards that monster in the shape of a human being but this only made things worse for him.

That was the end.

That monster named Enma turned his attention towards the lanky delinquent and began doing the same thing too him as well. After being caught, Yoshiya was pummeled to the ground by the sheer force of Enma's strength.

That was truly the end, for all of them.

_... I... failed... again... I failed ... That's... the only thing I ever do... No matter... how much I...struggle... I always fail... _Crouching sideways on the floor with dead, half-closed eyes and a body that was gruesomely misshapen to a point, the hooded boy watched as the two people who were closest to him meet their possible end. Strength had left him entirely. His vision was blurred.

_If only... I had power..._

All of this was because he was powerless. He was just a powerless Level 0 who could not protect any one, not even those who were closest to him. He cursed this part of him. And in the end, he directed this hate towards people who had powers and those who he thought were responsible for all of this, espers. But, was this really true? Ultimately, wasn't it he whom was at fault here? That must have been the case after all. It was just him blaming other people for his powerlessness.

"_From here on out we're going to be rivals, you understand? The first to become Level 5 will be the winner._"

"_Not this again. I keep telling you to have fun once in a while. That thing earlier, it was stupid but wasn't it fun? You need to liven up and act like a regular high school boy. Level's aren't everything in this world."_

_"I've told you this before, right? Our parents were attacked by a rogue esper when we were little, leaving us as Child Errors. I want to prevent that from happening again."_

_"I haven't been able to hang out with him lately because I was busy training to become a member of Judgment but I know for sure he's out there studying and working hard with all his might."_

He recalled those voices again. In the end, he betrayed all of them. He had failed all of them. And even now, he was still failing them. In the end, he was just weak and powerless. He couldn't protect anyone when it came down to it.

_Power... I need power...Anything... as long as its power...anything..._

His consciousness began to drift away from the scene. Somehow, this was similar to what he had experienced before.

_Power... power..._

_Power... power... I need power... power.. power... powerpowerpower.._

Reality began to switch itself. He didn't know if he had closed his eyes. But nonetheless, he couldn't see anything. Was he just simply sleepwalking? His mind was still working, though vaguely. Thoughts were still slowly being produced but what was being produced only contained one word: Power.

His consciousness, his reality was slowing down. It's as if time itself was slowing down.

Suddenly, a feeling of falling down into an abyss overwhelmed him.

From far away, Enma continued to savagely beat down on the lanky boy when he felt an unpleasant feeling all of a sudden. It felt like the searing heat of a desert. No, it was more than that, it was an indescribably, unpleasant feeling. He turned away from the boy, who was now barely moving, and looked at the source of this distorted atmosphere with his remaining eye.

Lying on the ground, Yoshiya moved his gaze to the opposite side of the room while his body was on the verge of crumbling.

Right there was something that shouldn't be.

The hooded boy was strangely standing there, but there was something off. In more ways than one, there was something wrong with this. His body shouldn't have the strength to stand up. He shouldn't even be able to physically move his limbs due to the steady deterioration of his body after being hit by several punches that had the strength of to destroy hard rock. If he did move his limbs, his bones would have creaked and snapped altogether, and he would have just collapsed with a body that had zero chance of ever recovering.

But he was standing there as if ignoring the physical limits of a human's body structure.

Something must have happened to his body which made him able to restore all his broken bones and muscles.

At first glance, he looked like he was between the border of life and death. He stood there with body twitching and convulsing. His hood still hid a great portion of his face. Most likely, he wasn't even conscious or aware that he was standing.

And then suddenly, mysterious tiny particles of light interchanging from silver to purple appeared from out of nowhere around that dimly lit building. They manifested from thin air and they were hardly reminiscent from anything Yoshiya has ever seen, however, it reminded him of fireflies somehow. These small particles floated around with no particular direction while producing great illumination in that building.

They were surrounded by these particles in every direction.

"You're still alive..." Still having the mind of a blood thirsty murderer, Enma's distorted face twitched and filled with anger. A second later, he leapt forward using the power he had gained using the Level Upper, the one he considers to be similar to the power of the strongest esper in Academy City, but he didn't blasted forward with incredible force in order to shorten their distance as he expected. Instead, he stopped. That surge of power he felt from before was gone. That power that was so strong that it could penetrate through the solid steel plating of security robots and could create craters on concrete flooring was gone. In the middle of those mysterious glowing particles of light, his powers were gone. His eyes widened with disbelief and confusion. "Y-you... WHAT IS THIS?!"

Under that intense and heavy atmosphere, Yoshiya stared at what was happening but couldn't understand any bit of it. "Is this... because of him? Is this his doing?"

This was likely an esper's ability, Yoshiya thought. There was no other explanation for this. He searched his mind for what kind of power this was, based on the numerous powers he has seen under the years he has lived in Academy City. The first thing that came to his mind was Plasma. Some good Thermokinesist would likely be able to achieve this by creating small, numerous Plasma, or even a wind manipulation esper. But these these small lights behaved kind of differently. Their glow was not like the warm glow of something like compressed Plasma. Their lights flickered and changed color rapidly.

And there was another thing that came into his mind.

There was something called an AIM diffusion field. This was the source responsible for every special phenomenon espers create with their abilities. Their power extended as far as their AIM extended. Which means that if one were to be far away enough from the esper, he should be out of the range of their powers. This was a basic knowledge known to every person in Academy City. Yoshiya knew this fact.

And he also knew that, from his small observation, these particles covered the entire building. They covered everything, not just the ground around them, but everything. He was roughly a hundred feet away from the hooded boy, but these glowing bits of light may have passed him as well. It may have even reached beyond the building and into the outside.

Completely ignoring that mysterious phenomenon, Enma stared at his powerless hands. After a second, he took out something from his back pocket. It was a gun. He didn't care what method it was, all he wanted now was to kill that boy standing in front of him. Filled with sadistic killing intent, he pointed the gun at the boy from where he was standing.

There was no reaction from the hooded boy. He just kept standing there, unaware of what was happening. They couldn't see what kind of expression he was showing, or what he was even thinking.

"Stop it!" Yoshiya shouted with a weak voice but it didn't reach the ear of the one holding the gun.

While having only one eye and under that heavy distorted atmosphere, Enma fired with no hesitation. His smile grew across his face.

He missed one shot.

And then another.

And then another.

And then another.

And then finally, he hit the boy's body. It hit the part which was the heart.

The boy was pushed a little by the force of the bullet hitting his body. He still stood however. He stood with a hole to his body.

But as a reaction to this, the mysterious particles began to move and gather together. They gathered as if being pulled to that part of his body where that bullet hit him. Those glowing lights of silver and purple gathered together and coalesced into a giant streak from that empty hole at the boy's back, like a giant wing.

"Y-you..." Feeling the intense atmosphere get heavier, Enma dropped down on his knees and released the gun. "You... monster...!"

"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" As if responding to his words, the hooded boy let out a forlorn cry of a wild beast into the night of Academy City. It was an inhuman cry far from resembling anything close to a boy's. It almost felt like the entire structure of the abandoned building trembled.

Yoshiya finally felt his vision fading away. That intense atmosphere have been taking its toll on his injuries for a while now so his condition got even worse.

Before he closed his eyes due to losing grasp of consciousness, he saw a dark figure stepping in front of him. He couldn't quite see it clearly, but it seemed like the feet and legs, the only ones within his vision, were draped within a leather suit. Most likely, this figure was wearing a full body suit.

"I am not sure how to grade the result of this experiment since it had gone far beyond my predicted range. But at least I have found new test subjects. From here on out, I will begin with my mission."

And then finally, his vision faded from the scene and into nothingness.

* * *

Beneath the night sky and the full moon in Academy City, the present Mochizuki Yoshiya lay on the roof of a building of a school in District 7. He had wavy grey hair and golden eyes. He blankly stared at the drifting clouds as if trying to remember something.

This was a school he had gone before.

These were all memories he had before.

But as of now, all of that has disappeared completely from his mind.

* * *

**END AN:**

**And that's that. We finally return to the present after such a long time. It felt like ages since I wrote about Takayama Akito.**

**As for this chapter, this signals the real main plot of the story. Yep, everything finally begins for real. Everything up till now was just a warm up.**

**Hope you will leave a feedback about the story!**

**So for now, please look forward to my next chapter!**

**EOF.**


	20. Mental Contradiction: Prologue

**Hello! Hello! Now you're probably thinking:"This damn author. Why did he take so long in releasing a new chapter?!"**

**Well... I really have no excuses hahaha...**

**So moving along... ("Oi, don't dodge the question!")**

**As a commemoration for reaching the 20th chapter, we'll be having a new layout for the chapters!**

**Most of you who have seen previous versions of my chapters must have noticed the symbols along the line dividers. In truth, I disliked how the line break system works here so I wanted to do something about it but to no avail. But now we have this! Well that's all hahaha...**

**Anyway, I also updated the style of the titles of these chapters so it must be obvious now that there is a new arc.**

**So with that, please read and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 20 - Mental_Contradiction: Prologue**

* * *

_**Level_5_and_Academy_City.**_

Academy City was the frontier city of advanced science and technology. It was said that the technology in Academy City was 30 years ahead of the rest of the world. Among the accomplishments of Academy City were the special ability users known as espers. It would be a great lie to say that Academy City wasn't one giant experiment for the purpose of studying espers. Students from all around the world, not just Japan where Academy City presides in, would come to Academy City and be taught under the famous Power Curriculum Program in the hopes of becoming an esper and gain powers.

Espers were all categorized based on their power's level. Those with the weakest powers, the Level 0's, were considered to be the lowest and regarded as flunked students, while those with the highest level of power, the Level 5's, were considered to be honor students. Basically, as your power grows, so does your grades and social standing in Academy City.

However, only seven students were able to achieve the status of Level 5.

The Number Seven, Attack Crash; Number Five, Mental Out; Number Four, Meltdowner; Number Three, Railgun; Number Two, Dark Matter; and the Number One, Accelerator to name a few.

They were the elites among the elites. Their powers were on a whole different scale from the rest of the students; even the power gap between a Level 4 and a Level 5 was exceedingly large and incomparable. It was even said that each Level 5 could take down an entire platoon alone. That was how strong they were.

However, there were also rebellious people who aimed to take down the espers, especially the Level 5's.

One of them was the large Skill-Out group led by a man named Komaba Ritoku, the other being the secretive group known as the Black Wolves led by an unknown hooded boy. There were many other lesser known groups, but one example of them would be a group called Deadlock. These were all organizations who wanted to impose their own authority in Academy City, but they had all failed unsurprisingly. Their failure may have stemmed from their lack of manpower or their overall plans may have lacked a necessary component. But in the end, they were all eventually met with opposition and crushed.

Thus, the system in Academy City remained entirely intact and the Level 5's remained at the very top of the esper hierarchy. Yes, the Level 5's remained as the most valuable espers in Academy City, fine jewels which are hard to find and hard to replace. That was why the Level 5's were closely monitored and given high security for Academy City's sake.

* * *

_**Hospital_visit_Part_1**_

It was a peaceful morning.

Through the window of a hospital in Academy City's District 7, one could see the clear blue sky of the sunny morning.

One girl going by the name of Athena was inside one room of that hospital. Next to her wearing a hospital gown was an unconscious boy wrapped in bandages.

She looked like an ordinary girl with bright ginger-colored hair which stops above her shoulders, sky blue eyes, smooth white skin like a doll's, and a woollen sweater with a hood, but in truth, she was a machine made to look just like a human girl with the general purpose of becoming an esper to increase Academy City's military power, a machine for war and killing people. One reason she thought she was made to look like a human girl was because of an aspect of Personal Realities only being exclusively produced by humans. So if she were made to look like a human being instead of some animal or inanimate object, she would be closer to producing her own Personal Reality. In fact, she did develop a Personal Reality and became an esper in the end.

In any case, she was a machine made for war. Most of her functions were geared towards combat, along with the psychic abilities of an esper.

However, despite her original purpose, she was now living a peaceful life in that unconscious boy's dorm room thanks to his efforts in securing her freedom.

That night still remained clear in her memories. In that hopeless situation, that boy fought an almost impossible battle against an opponent in the highest tier of the esper hierarchy despite knowing the fact that what he was fighting for was not even human.

"You can be really reckless sometimes, shishou." As she quietly muttered that, she brushed the frail boy's fringes away from his eyes to give him a decent look.

"If I knew you were in danger, I would have come immediately. I did not expect to find you in the hospital after fighting a dangerous battle. Yet again, I was unable to help you..."

* * *

_**The_Path_not_Taken.**_

"It's this way."

Unfazed by the eerie scene, Nunotaba Shinobu, a girl with dark shoulder-length hair, dark eyes, wearing a long trench coat, led the group to a spacious room of a research facility developing androids capable of producing Personal Realities.

The room was very dark. Only the lights coming from the computers around the area as well as the exit sign above the door on the opposite side of the room created any illumination.

Still, they were able to see the dozens of mannequin-like androids dangling from the ceiling in the middle of that room. A chain connected to their backs and the ceiling, suspending them in midair while barely letting their feet touch the shiny polished floor. A wire twisted and coiled around that chain like a snake although the purpose of this wire was unclear.

Their eyes stared down at the floor, unblinking. It was obvious that they did not contain a single hint of life yet one could not help but expect them to jump out at you if you get anywhere near them. These were of course just unfinished reproductions of Athena so they did not have the complex artificial intelligence she has.

Athena stared at that site.

Their faces and bodies were the same as hers, height, hair, eyes and all. However, there were distinct differences like some having missing appendages such as eyes and arms. They also had white clothes similar to straitjackets which she used to wear. This reminded her that she hasn't looked at herself in the mirror yet so she couldn't exactly point to what degree were they similar to her.

After getting a good look at them, Athena glanced over towards Nunotaba Shinobu's cold blue eyes from the side. She wondered if that genius girl had experienced Academy City's dark side for so long that she became immune to reacting when seeing unnerving things such as this.

Now that she thought about it, she herself was a product of that dark side.

"We may have to destroy these things…"

The one who said that was a young boy with an unruly appearance, Takayama Akito, who had blonde-dyed hair and wore a white hoodie with a large print consisting of two black, crack-like, lines merging together to form a large distorted 'X' at the left side of his chest. This boy had willingly involved himself in this dangerous conspiracy against Academy City's dark side.

Athena mulled over what the boy said. "These things" were imperfect recreations of her. With the help of the data stored within her, they could also have the ability to think and feel, but that would mean surrendering to a bleak life of following Academy City's whim and becoming a force of pure rage and destruction. For instance, if the prominent religious sector known as the Roman Catholic Church, the one currently on bad terms with Academy City, the representative of the Science Side, were to wage war, then she will be mass-produced without second thought and these imperfect recreations will be repaired and dispatched immediately onto the battlefield.

In the end, she could not allow that to happen. Athena would never allow these copies of her to experience war and kill many people. She would rather not have them exist than let them stain their hands with blood in the name of Academy City.

She nodded to herself and continued on.

She immediately went to Nunotaba Shinobu's side in order to help in finding her own main program's code that will be needed to fix her condition of accumulating errors due to her system recognizing her new esper-related files as some form of alien code, like how antibodies respond when a virus enters a body. If they failed in fixing her, she would be unable to move and most likely shut down.

However, things did not progress as easily as they had hoped and they soon found out that ITEM, the organization from the dark side pursuing them in order to retrieve Athena, was already on their trail.

With a worried tone, Nunotaba Shinobu said, "I have found the code, but the transfer will take longer than I expected. I just need a bit more time."

Athena glanced over at the screen and saw that the download progress bar was still only at 8%. The code contained all of her fundamental mechanisms as an android so it was understandable that it was big.

"I've got a plan….."

The young boy's words reached her ear.

"But I'll need a sample of her AIM, or rather, the piece of code you removed from her in order to stop her from emitting AIM and prevent her from using her powers."

After taking a moment to figure out what the boy had meant from those few words, Nunotaba Shinobu nodded in response.

The two of them quickly went towards the imperfect androids and began removing the ones with complete body parts from the chains and wires holding them up. They were able to find five such androids.

"You plan to install the code onto these incomplete ones in order to fool ITEM into thinking that one of them is the original, and lure them away. Since they were made to become espers, the research lab prioritized in installing the modules responsible for emitting AIM first so even if they are incomplete, they should have those modules installed already. You could say those modules worked like radio transmitters but on the level of AIM diffusion fields." Nunotaba spoke as she fixed the androids up and connected them to the computer not too far away. "In order to buy time, you would try and distract them along with an android, leading them far away from here. But, that is where the crucial part lies…."

"They have that esper known as AIM Stalker, Takitsubou Rikou," Takayama continued further while helping her with their modification of the androids. "If that email you sent me earlier about the details of her ability is true, then they'll be able to find us no matter where we go."

"There will be no escaping that AIM Stalker, which can track down any esper's location through their AIM."

"I swear, that is an annoying ability," the boy spat out. "But…." He let out a small, mischievous grin. "We can use that to our advantage."

"... Each esper has unique AIM. Even if you searched the entirety of Academy City, you will not be able to find two which are exactly the same. So what if you were using the ability AIM Stalker while there were not just two, but five identical AIM diffusion fields at five different locations? Is that right?"

That would mean that ITEM would either follow each source of that AIM, one by one, or split up and look individually, with the latter being more likely than the former.

As they had their conversation, Nunotaba Shinobu and Takayama Akito's hands moved at lightning speed in tampering with the androids. It was possible that these two were on par with each other when it comes to handling these kinds of technology. Their work was already nearly finished. But just as Nunotaba was about to plugged the fifth incomplete android into the computer, Takayama held out a hand to stop her.

"I don't think that will be enough," the boy said. "Even if I succeed in distracting them, they'll eventually find out that these were all fakes and that the real one is still out there. We don't know if they already knew that she was an android, but regardless, they will figure out our trick once they find out that there were multiple copies of her and that it is possible to have those copies installed with her AIM."

"So what should we do then?"

The boy silently walked towards Nunotaba, grabbed the fifth incomplete android's shoulders from her hands, and fixed its posture from its collapsed state on the floor. He had no problem handling it despite its similar appearance to Athena.

"We let them know that they are being fooled before they find out by having the not-so-original make an unexpected appearance and become a casualty in the process. This will be tricky so it will come down to how skilfully we orchestrate the battle. We will make it so that the fifth android to be the only one that doesn't emit AIM. Once we successfully split them up, which I know for sure they will but it doesn't matter either way, we will let the fifth appear looking like the original in my fight with one of the members of ITEM and make it sacrifice itself in the midst of my fight somehow. With this, not only will we be able to distract them but also fool them into thinking that they had failed their mission by destroying the target they were tasked to retrieve."

"I see…." With her hand to her chin, Nunotaba said, genuinely impressed.

"Got it? I made a couple of plans like this in the pa-"

"So you do have a brain."

"Isn't that obvious?! What did you take me for, huh?!" A bulging cross-shaped vein appeared on Takayama's forehead.

"You look like one of those suspicious boys who never receive Valentine's chocolate."

"W-what the hell kind of description is that?!" the boy argued despite it being true. "Urghh… why are all your words so hurtful, Nunotaba? I feel like I'm always crossing a field full of landmines thanks to you."

"Well, I do think that plan will suffice. But how will we make the fifth stand out and distinguishable from the rest in order to fool them?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

The boy turned towards the original, Athena, and she tilted her head slightly in a questioning look.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to strip."

"You really are the worst, Takayama Akito."

"W-wait, that didn't come out right. Let me ask- Wait, w-w-why are you stripping already?! Stop! Stop! Stop! What...?! WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING ANYTHING UNDERNEATH?!"

At some point, Nunotaba Shinobu got in front of the boy who has sadly never received a single Valentine chocolate in his life and was now frantically trying to cover his eyes from the lucky sight of seeing Athena pulling her zipper down the middle of her black hoodie, and gave him a strong slap to the face which sent him spinning around like a giant top and colliding with a desk somewhere.

"I xsdkl mdjss." A sound of static noise escaped Athena's lips but somehow it sounded kind of like, "I didn't mind."

"What was that? You are saying Takayama Akito here is one giant lecherous maniac who only thinks about your body?" Nunotaba said without losing her monotonous voice.

"H-hey! I didn't mean it that way, damn it! Listen to me!" Takayama shouted from the far corner of that dark room, facing away from the two girls like that old-fashioned way of scolding bad children.

In the end, the misunderstanding cleared up and Athena exchanged her clothes with the fifth incomplete android without the boy looking, leaving her with the white straitjacket, barefooted.

Though not all of ITEM had come into contact with her and knew what she was exactly wearing, making the fifth behave differently and not emit AIM would greatly help it stand out. Of course, if Mugino Shizuri or Kinuhata Saiai were the ones to go after the boy, then their plan would have a greater chance of succeeding.

In any case, they have to delay ITEM from reaching the laboratory and taking Athena away.

To prepare for this, Nunotaba Shinobu practiced the controls for the androids through the boy's highly advanced mobile phone which they installed with programs for controlling an entire group of those mechanical beings. Takayama Akito had two mobile phones which he uses to call upon and control multiple drum-shaped robots. One of them was the one Nunotaba was using in order to send out commands to the androids, a medium-sized rectangular phone with a large screen, while the other was a small and extremely narrow seed-shaped phone which was reminiscent to old models of MP3 players because of the narrow screen it had. At first glance, the screen looked very impractical, but that was just one of its features. It had a button which will pop up another screen along its side.

The androids, which have exactly the same body and face as Athena, moved around as Nunotaba Shinobu tapped some commands on the rectangular phone's large screen with both her thumbs similar to playing with a game console. They walked around unsteadily before moving towards the boy, wrapping their shapely bodies hidden in a straitjacket unto the boy's arms, waist and neck, and giving the original a pitiable expression to which she jolted up like a cat having its food suddenly taken away from her.

And then eventually, the decisive battle was about to finally begin.

The boy, who was about to confront Academy City's cruelest side, faced the steel door leading to an alternative exit with the five decoy androids standing behind him.

"I'm heading out now."

He took a small step, but something immediately interrupted him. He felt two warm hands grabbing his wrist with a grip that seemed to be intent on not letting go.

Takayama moved his attention down towards those hands, and then the face of the one in possession of them.

Athena's sky blue eyes immediately went into view.

Her troubled face made it clear that she wanted to say something.

Her gaze dropped down, and she moved her trembling lips slightly to say something despite knowing that it was futile.

_I want to stop him... He will definitely die if I don't stop him. There has to be a way that doesn't involve him doing something this dangerous._

However, the boy was the one to break the silence first.

"You know..."

She brought her face up and saw his eyes looking straight at her.

"Up till now I've been following a path purely based on my own self-satisfaction. I've only been thinking about esper powers up to the point that I dream of them because I wanted to become one so badly. But, I failed, and my life eventually spiralled downwards. I've experienced failure after failure, not being able to protect someone, not being able to control myself from lashing out my hatred, just failure. I'd be lying if I said someone didn't die because of my walking down that path..."

_No, please stop! You will definitely die so there is no reason for you to go through such lengths! I am not human and I can always be manufactured again so you should not bother saving me!_

He was not some fearless warrior, nor was he a person gifted with special abilities. He was just a normal boy who lived a normal life and attended a normal high school.

She could definitely see the shaking in his legs and the trembling in his hands. Even the sounds of his heart pounding seemed audible to her ears.

"But, this isn't about me. Your safety is a lot more important than anything. I may have failed before in the past, but that won't stop me from seeing you walk around Academy City peacefully. Yeah, this is definitely the right path. I definitely feel that this is the path I should be walking on."

At first, she couldn't understand why this boy wanted to stand up for her so desperately even though she was only a machine, but then, the answer threw itself at her.

"So for once, let me do something that I'm definitely sure is right."

He wasn't fighting in anger to foil Academy City's evil intentions.

He wasn't trying to prove that he had strength to fight against strong espers despite him being a lowly Level 0.

He was fighting because he simply wanted her to live a carefree life.

He viewed her as a human being and maybe even more.

Takayama lightly placed his hand over hers and made a small motion to remove them, and that was enough for the hands holding him tightly to release their hold.

Then, it began.

His fight to protect her from Academy City's darkness began.

Nunotaba Shinobu and Athena watched the wide computer screens displaying the multiple decoy androids' visual feed from a nearby desk while Nunotaba rapidly tapped on the phone's large screen with her concentration stretched to the limit.

There were multiple windows open showing scenes from each of the android's cameras embedded in their eyes.

However, that was not where Athena's attention was focused on.

There was one particular window showing the back of a boy who was running with all his might when a sudden flash of green light followed by a loud, deafening crash appeared in the background. That was likely the infamous Meltdowner of the Number Four Level 5, Mugino Shizuri.

The boy was smiling.

Even though he would die instantly if those lethal beams that could tear through an Aegis ship hit him, he was still smiling.

_Why….?_

She clenched her fists while watching that scene.

_I'm…. only a machine….. so why….?_

Suddenly, something cold ran down her cheek. That odd sensation was the first she had ever experienced before so she was bewildered at first.

_What is this?_

She put her hand to her cheek, brought it forward, and saw a clear liquid which confused her for a second.

_Are these tears…?_

"What dictates a human being's existence does not necessarily mean flesh and bones."

Athena turned to her right to face Nunotaba Shinobu, who was currently in the midst of controlling multiple decoys.

"Believe it or not, there were humans who acted more mechanically than you do. They were more emotionless than you are, almost like dolls. But, you are different. You have something that goes beyond science. If you truly value other people more than yourself, just like that boy, then you are already human."

* * *

_**Hospital_visit_Part_2.**_

The door gently opened with a small creak and a girl entered the hospital room.

It was the boy's friend, Tatemiya Haruka.

"He still hasn't woken up, huh?" She walked towards the bed and looked down on the boy's peaceful face which was different from the usual hateful one she was used to seeing.

Her Judgment armband was not pinned around her right shoulder as it usually did so she must have not been on duty.

"No..." replied Athena without looking away from the boy.

"Well, don't look so down. I'm sure he'll wake up eventually."

Tatemiya tried to cheer the other girl up after seeing her low in spirits but it doesn't seem to be working.

For some reason, she was now tilting her head while trying to get a good look at Athena.

"You know, you look nothing like him. Are you really related? I don't remember him mentioning a cousin before."

"Ehh?! U-uhmm yes, I was b-born overseas a-and had lived there for quite a while..."

"Oh, really? You don't look Japanese at all."

For Athena, this awkward situation was due to the fact that her secret identity must stay hidden because of her ties with the scientist of Academy City.

"I-I'm half..."

Her eyes darted everywhere like ping pong balls.

"Well, whatever the case, genetics is a mysterious a thing."

"Y-yes, catfish have 27,000 taste buds after all!"

"Huh?"

"N-nothing..."

Tatemiya looked at the other girl for a while with something on her mind other than her unique appearance. With a look of someone who has finally decided on something, she exclaimed "Alright, let's do this!"

"Eh?" Athena gave a confused look.

"Time to train! There's no use loafing around here when we could be training to prevent the same thing from happening again, you hear?"

"B-but..." She shifted her gaze back at the unconscious boy, intent on not leaving him alone.

"If you become stronger, then you will definitely be able to take care of him better in the future, right? C'mon! I will train with you as well. I ended up relying on him last time despite me being so confident in my strength. I was really embarrassed by that, and I was also surprised when I found out he was the one to resolve that incident. As expected of my rival, you can never underestimate him." Tatemiya let out an approving nod. "As such, I want to get a fresh new start and train. So, what say you, cousin of Takayama's?"

Athena hesitated before giving her reply "... But, how do we train?"

Tatemiya Haruka smiled and cheerfully put her hands to her sides.

"Leave that to me!"

Athena thought for moment. She wanted to do something, not just sit around when that boy is in trouble. Because he put his all into securing her freedom, she was now able to live such a happy life with him in Academy City. But, things will not go smoothly forever. There will come a time when that reckless boy will face a difficult situation that even he can't solve on his own, so when that time comes, she must put her life on the line for him just as he did for her.

With a face of determination, she quietly nodded and Tatemiya Haruka proceeded to leave the room.

"Shishou..."

Before following the eager pony-tailed girl out of the hospital, Athena took one final look at the peaceful-looking boy laying on the pure white hospital bed.

"I will give you this so please wake up." She placed a tiny rubber mascot-like toy in the shape of a burger with angry boggle eyes attached to a phone strap on the table beside his bed and beside his small phone. "Please stay safe. I will be back shortly."

* * *

_**Spirited_Girl.**_

The sun was shining ever so brightly over a riverbank somewhere in Academy City.

It was the perfect kind of day for outdoor activities and as such, a noisy crowd had gathered in that open space.

For some reason, that crowd was composed of children and two teenage girls.

"1.. 2.. 3.. 4….. 1.. 2.. 3.. 4…. "

And for some reason, one of the teenage girls, the girl with the long ponytail and amber-colored eyes, was standing in front of the group as their exercise model.

"1.. 2.. 3.. 4…. 1.. 2.. 3.. 4…."

But, the group doesn't seem too focused on the exercise program in front of them.

"Sue-chan, what are you doing?"

"Hiyaahhh! Phoenixman kick!"

"Eh? Who stole my candy?! Was it you?"

"Nee-chan, can I go to the bathroom now?"

"Later! I want to exercise so I can grow taller!"

"When do we fight the bad guys?"

"I'm hungry….."

The kids were rolling down, fighting with each other and doing summersaults. There were others who tried to follow the tall girl, but they eventually failed and fell down on the soft grass. These were just confused children who just wanted to play.

Beside a chubby boy with a runny nose was a serious Athena doing some side-stretches.

"Alright, can you still keep up?"

"Yes!" Athena puffed her cheeks up and raised her arms energetically.

The chubby boy who seems to be in primary school raised his arms as well but stretched them too far and fell on his back in the end.

Athena remained focus on exercise coach Tatemiya.

It was an intense training regiment which will most likely improve physical strength and stamina, but what will that mean for non-human Athena?

"Coach!" Athena raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"I don't think this is working out for me!"

The pony-tailed girl let out a puzzled expression. "Why not?"

"W-well…. that is because… perhaps we should focus more on strengthening our esper abilities?"

"Nonsense! You shouldn't rely too much on your ability!" Tatemiya's long pony tail swayed as she shook her head. "If you let your body and mind lag behind, then you will eventually find yourself cornered in a situation where your powers don't matter. I learned that from my previous fight…."

"I-I see…"

"C'mon, you want to grow strong as well don't you? Now, do five laps from here to that bridge." Tatemiya pointed towards the supporting pillar under the bridge several meters away.

After hearing that order, Athena gave a brief nod and instantly crouched down facing the bridge.

"Hm?" Tatemiya heard several motor-like sounds coming from somewhere, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint where it was.

A second later, a great burst of wind and dirt exploded.

The children quickly turned their attention from their playing and into the source of this phenomenon.

Tatemiya stared as the girl, who had previously been next to her, dash through the riverbank at amazing speed.

That speed could easily be on the level of the Olympics.

After several seconds, the five laps which could easily stretch out for thirty meters was done.

"Did I do alright, coach?" Athena was now standing in front of the pony-tailed girl, looking like she just took a casual walk around a park.

"U-uhhh yeah, sure…." Tatemiya replied with a sheepish smile.

After finishing the rigorous training regiment set up by Tatemiya Haruka, the two girls moved towards a small park and bought some drinks from a vending machine. They sat down on a bench not too far away and took their well-deserved break.

Athena took a sip of her cold energy drink, and for whatever reason, she felt a sudden surge of energy as if she had just been plugged into a giant battery.

Tatemiya urged for the hyperactive girl to calm down as she was having difficulty understanding her super fast speech.

Eventually, she came down but not before going a lap around the park.

_Tatemiya-san is so nice. Shishou is very fortunate to have such good friends._ A gentle smile escaped Athena's lips as she looked up at the blue sky.

"So, what school do you go to, cousin of…." The pony-tailed girl paused for a bit before continuing. "You know, Athena is such an odd name and calling you Takayama's cousin all the time is so tiring…."

"Yes… ?"

"I think I'm being silly here, but we're friends now, right? So….. can I call you Ath-chan?" Tatemiya Haruka let out an embarrassed smile.

"I….." Athena did not know how to react to this situation, after all, she was always by Takayama Akito's side. After all the time she had spent concealing her identity, that boy remained the only connection she had to the world outside. She did not go to school and she had no family to call her own so she was all alone without that boy. But, most of all, her true nature was that of a machine, so she felt like an outcast in this city full of students. There was a possibility that opinion of her would not be pleasant if she opened up.

On the other hand, this girl beside her was reaching out to her, and she wanted to do the same without lying or hiding anything from her.

But, was there really a need to hide anything anymore?

She was taught that there was more to being human than just having flesh and bones.

She wanted to believe in those words.

And that's why…..

"What's wrong?" Confused, the pony-tailed girl noticed her companion's abrupt silence.

Athena smiled as if she had just realized something silly and Tatemiya Haruka became even more confused.

"Actually…"

* * *

_**Hospital_visit_Part_3.**_

It was already evening and visiting hours were already nearly over at a certain hospital, however, two girls insisted the clerk at the reception desk to let them take one last visit.

"E-eh? Shishou c-calls you an idiot?"

"That's right! I can't believe how rude that guy is!"

Athena and Tatemiya Haruka were walking across the hallway of that hospital.

"He comes up with many different kinds of nicknames for people such as glasses-dude and headband!"

"I-Is that so… ?"

"How about you? What does he call you?"

"Well… "

Athena thought for a bit before realizing something gravely important: Takayama Akito, that boy who had risked his life for her and was now her landlord, hasn't even once called her by her name.

She sulked as she walked together with the pony-tailed girl.

"… He hasn't called me anything."

She will have to make a demand once the boy wakes up.

"Still, I can't believe he did all that. He's like a totally different person now."

"Yes, he is a bit reckless though…."

But, she will still look after him no matter what, even if that other side of Academy City were to come for them again.

This time, she will walk with that boy once again and help him whenever she could. After all, she was now someone who was not merely a product of Academy City. She was just as human as any other.

She opened the door to a hospital room and immediately saw a certain boy sitting upright on a hospital bed.

The evening sun was about to set so the room was dyed orange, but his silhouette reflected the light and made the room brighter.

"Did you get this from that restaurant we pass by on the way to the supermarket? You should've invited me to go with you." He held the phone strap attached to a mascot toy between his fingers and spun it around playfully. His blonde hair fell down on his face, covering the bridge of his nose and a bit of his eyes, but it seemed to be more organized than its original state.

His voice echoed throughout the spacious hospital room but received no reply until,

"Well, how would she invite you when you were just sleeping there like a lazy bum!" Tatemiya Haruka shouted and ran towards him to give him a good scolding.

But amidst all that, Athena smiled and moved forward towards the dazzling light.

"Welcome back, shishou."

* * *

**END AN:**

**Alright, just as I said before, this will be the start of a new arc!**

**But before that, at the beginning, I used "Attack Crash" as Number Seven's epithet so I hope you guys don't mind.**

**Anyway, the contents will include Takayama Akito's return to school, but before that, some interactions with his friends! I feel like the OC characters haven't had a good interaction with each other yet. Chapter 9 kind of rushed things for all of them but I'm definitely gonna fixed that!**

**Also, I plan to have Tatemiya Haruka to strictly follow a particular style in terms of combat because I was, due to my inexperience, unsure what kinds of abilities should a Pyrokinesist or Thermokinesist have and so some of her abilities seemed kind of random or maybe inconsistent.**

**Athena will also play a more active role this time around(Yes, finally!)**

**This arc will center around a certain Level 5 or maybe all the Level 5's, and also, the return of some familiar faces!**

**Please send a review and feedback! Thank You!**

**EOF.**


	21. Mental Contradiction: Quiet Blade

**As always, hello and thank you for opening this little fic of mine!**

**It has been a long journey for me and it still feels like everything is just getting started! I still have so much to write about, if only I just had more time to write.**

**This chapter was originally supposed to be longer but I had to cut it up into two because it had gone well beyond the usual length(past 10k words!).**

**Anyways, I won't take any more of your time so please go on ahead and read!**

* * *

**Chapter 21 - Mental_Contradiction: Quiet_Blade.**

* * *

_**Mistaken_Image - Fesitval_Prelude**_

"Show what you have learned from your everyday—"

"SHOW THE RESULTS OF YOUR EVERYDAY TRAINING AND GUTS!"

A large crowd was forming near the center of Academy City's District 7.

It was a wide street with dozens of colorful tents, but the amount of people present had no trouble filling up that space. The most noticeable thing about this was that there were people from outside Academy City, most of whom were the family of the students studying here. It was a rare sight.

The cheerful crowd was watching a giant widescreen monitor atop of a tall glass-covered building while eating the food they ordered from a nearby stand.

With his parents not too far from him among the crowded urban district, a small boy took a bite of his corndog and looked up towards that giant thing that's almost like a super-sized household TV, just as the speakers somewhere around it suddenly let out a graceful, well-mannered voice. Through that giant monitor screen which seemed to be the size of a large billboard, he could see a girl with long, honey-blonde hair speaking through a microphone in front of hundreds of people in the middle of a large sports stadium.

"By showing how much you have progressed, show thanks to your parents —"

But in contrast to this, a loud voice blasted through the speakers and overshadowed the female one.

"SHOW OFF THAT SPLENDOR AND GUTS TO THOSE WEAKLINGS WITHOUT IT!"

The reason why there were lots of people from outside Academy City enjoying the city's attractions was because of an annual city-wide sporting event, the Daihaseisai.

The boy tilted his head, not knowing exactly what was going on in that live video feed.

"By overcoming all sorts of obstacles through trial and hardship and getting up every time we fall down..."

The boy's mother curiously approached him and asked what was going on only to sweat-drop at the unreasonable scene.

"OVERCOME EVERYTHING WITH GUTS!""

Without warning, pillars of explosions rose from the ground and filled the sports stadium. The entire crowd witnessing that scene let out awkward smiles and confused faces.

Seriously, what was happening?

A second after that live broadcast of Daihaseisai's opening ceremony, which had failed apparently, Tsuyuri Aki and Tatemiya Haruka stopped and took a short break to catch their breaths at the landing of a small staircase leading towards a nearby park, after walking around the large street.

"Are you okay, Tsuyuri-san? Don't push yourself," said Tatemiya Haruka with concern towards the sweating girl. She stood towering above her while carrying both of their large handbags over her shoulders. She looked tomboyish, having no problem with the weight of the bags while still looking fresh like she had just gone out of the shower, in stark contrast to the frail Tsuyuri Aki. They were both wearing sports jackets over their white T-shirts and navy-blue shorts due to the sports festival.

"Yes, I'm fine…" replied the girl with a weak smile, with her hands down on her knees. "More importantly, you should go on ahead to your event. A lot of our classmates are counting on you so it would be bad if you missed it."

"Our classmates are counting on me? I don't recall being the representative of our school."

"Well, the Daihaseisai is an event which allows students to use their powers, with certain restrictions, so students with higher Level's have a greater chance of winning. As you may know, our school's student population is mostly composed of Level 0's and Level 1's so we are fairly weak. But since we finally have a Level 4 this year, which is you, we finally might have a chance at increasing our school's standing. So you are at the core of our plans. A lot of our classmates will be relying on you throughout the event to get us some points."

"Really? I don't think that way." Tatemiya nodded to herself after hearing how important her role was in securing victory for her school. "This is a team effort so everyone's efforts are taken into account. If anything, I'd say you have done most of the work. Your ability has been at the center for a while now."

"Oh, it was no big deal, though, I was really lucky. I didn't think the research lab would allow me to use my Inhibitor as I do not have full control of my abilities yet unlike other Precognition users."

"But repeating the entire six days of Daihaseisai has to be incredibly tough, right? Really, you're a lot more resilient than you appear."

"I do admit that going through the entire Daihaseisai to record information on the events and using Déja Vu to pass on that information to our school's strategy committee is no easy task. Much like yourself, our student council president is unusually soothing when she is not scolding people. She was surprisingly easy to get along with, along with Makoto-san and Isshiki-san."

"But didn't you have to painstakingly memorize every bit of detail regarding Dahaseisai before using your Déja Vu? That's like cramming before a big exam."

"Yes, it was. But really, I don't mind. It's common for Precognition users to be given some work before the event to gather some information. Each school has to exploit all the espers at their disposal after all. But what really encouraged me to do it was…"

The small girl's voice grew with each word.

"Was… ?"

"Seeing energetic young men pour their all into a clash of muscles!"

The usually quiet and timid Tsuyuri Aki's eyes sparkled beneath her bangs after giving a great announcement. Some people turned their away after hearing her and Tatemiya Haruka just let out a look of confusion.

"Don't you just love it when they press their body's against each other?! And to experience that all over again is like a dream! If given the chance, I would do it again!"

"Ahhh… ahh…. I don't really get it though. Are you a fan of wrestling by any chance, Tsuyuri-san?"

"Oh? How did you know?"

"It's nothing. So, who won Daihaseisai in the end, Tsuyuri-san?

"It was Nagatenjouki at first place while Tokiwadai at second, just like last year. Our school was just below the middle of the rankings."

"I see. Then it's our chance to change all that. Let's improve our rankings this time around!"

They continued onward to their destination in that large street after the tired Tsuyuri Aki regained her energy.

The sun was at its brightest and there was not a single cloud in the sky.

As they walked through District 7, they saw a lot of students preparing for their event with their P.E. uniforms on. This made Tatemiya Haruka, the infamous hot-blooded Judgment member, get really excited.

After crossing two streets, they parted ways in a large road surrounded by detachable guard rails and shock-absorbing mats. The white lines drawn at equal intervals on the road suggested it was most likely a running track for an event.

Tatemiya returned the girl's bag before she walked towards her event.

There was still some time before her own event, she realized, so Tatemiya Haruka decided to wander around the stands for a bit longer.

It was her first Daihaseisai. Although she said it was a team effort and that everyone's hard work will pave the way to victory, she couldn't help but get fired up on her own at the competition lined up for her and steal the glory for herself. In short, it was just her usual hot-bloodedness acting up.

She hummed a tune as she checked out numerous stands selling shaved ice, sports drinks, ice cream, soba bread and other street foods.

By the time she had reached the end of the street cluttered with food, she noticed a certain boy accompanying a child towards a pair of adults. The child must have been lost and he had accompanied him while looking for the lost child's parents. The child had stopped crying and ran towards his parents once they had gotten near, leaving that certain boy.

_I never knew he was the type….._

She thought that but she immediately noticed the lack of change in his expression. His dull, brown eyes remained, lacking in any sort of emotion even after seeing his work done. Something must be wrong with him, or rather, something must _still_ be wrong with him, she thought.

"Good job," she said cheerfully after approaching him.

"Yeah…" Takayama Akito replied weakly and monotonously.

Unlike the rest of the students around, he was not wearing his P.E. uniform, and instead, he was wearing a white parka over his blue shirt, faded blue jeans, and sneakers. That boy seemed to be like one of those problem children who did not like participating in school events, but Tatemiya Haruka knew there was a different reason.

"Want to get something to eat? You're not planning on participating in anything anyway, aren't you?" Ignoring the boy's truancy, she changed the matter without much thought. This may have sounded odd for her as a role model student in her school and as a Judgment member, but in reality, she wasn't really concerned if that boy was doing something troublesome. What's his decision was his alone. She only saw him as a target for her growth and nothing else. He was her goal, her finish line. So if he was just skipping school or just lazing around at his dorm, she wouldn't mind, as long he was still there. As long as he was still there, she could continue to challenge herself.

"Sure…"

In truth, she didn't really know much about him, even though she had known him for a long time.

All she knew was that boy named Takayama Akito was a silent, cold-hearted boy who was only obsessed with studying, but she still pondered if there was something else about him. In truth, she didn't knew exactly if they could be called friends. She may have regarded him as only a goal, but she eventually found herself approaching him for some reason, so their interactions continued.

She turned around and walked towards a stand selling shaved ice with the boy quietly following behind her.

That's right, he was only just a goal to her.

But he was only just a Level 0 and she was a Level 4. How could someone like him become her goal?

In reality, that was false.

Her goal was not the Takayama Akito walking slowly behind her, but the strong Takayama Akito in her mind, walking straight forward with incredible pace. It was the Takayama Akito she had subconsciously sculpted in her mind that she was focused on. As long as the physical Takayama Akito was present, her image of the strong Takayama Akito would remain.

Admittedly, she actually never regarded him as strong. There was a potential that she saw in him that made her chase him and that potential may have been the reason for her desire to chase after him.

As long as that image of him was there, she could continue on preaching, "It's only just a matter time before he overtakes me", "He's strong, he just hasn't showed it yet", or "You shouldn't let your guard down on him."

That's right, it was not this Takayama Akito who was egging her on.

This Takayama Akito was a weak Level 0 and could never ever be able to reach her, she had subconsciously determined in the end. He was too slow in the chase and had faltered before the starting signal had fired so his chance had been lost and he got left behind by her to her dismay. So she accepted that he was weak in the end, subconsciously.

But it didn't matter to her if he was weak. As long as he was there, the mental image of a strong version of him which she sculpted would continue to exist and she will be able to continue her chase.

"It's been a while since we met each other like this, huh?" she asked before taking a bite of her shaved ice underneath a large umbrella.

They had came across an eating area with small, elevated round tables below an umbrella. There were no seats so people had to eat while standing.

From across her under that umbrella, Takayama Akito didn't respond.

"It's good to see you not locking yourself in your dorm anymore."

"…. Yeah."

Shrugging off that lacking response, she continued eating her shaved ice. The desert spread a numbing chill around their palms, in contrast to the warm Academy City weather.

Silence fell between the two, but Tatemiya Haruka will not allow it stay like that for long. There has been something on her mind recently regarding that boy, or rather, the mental image of the boy. That something was also most likely related to his current apathetic behavior, and this was the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me? It was so obvious with all the patients around."

"…"

"They called me into the hospital just as everyone had woken up. They must have had trouble identifying your contact persons because they didn't contact me immediately, even though you had apparently been admitted there for so long."

"…"

"Hey, why didn't you tell me you used the Level Upper?"

There was an urgent matter she had to face. If that boy continued walking down that terrible path, it would negatively affect her mental image of him. If he deviated too much, then that strong Takayama Akito would cease to exist. She had to stop that.

"Yeah…"

Her emotions must have grew wild just now because the ice inside the cup she was holding had just melted entirely and turned into a puddle of watered-down strawberry juice.

_No, no, that's not it. I have to encourage him or everything else will fall apart. Yeah, he may have just been curious and decided to try it out as a one-off thing so there's really nothing to worry about._ She stopped biting her lip and let out a small breath to compose herself. She mustn't let the image inside her brain to fall apart or it will all be over.

"Well, don't let it get you so down. Everyone's curious to know what it's like to —"

"I think I'm going to transfer out of Academy City."

When she heard that, time felt like it had just stopped.

"What?"

"I'm going to leave Academy City and enroll at a different school outside."

"W-Why?!"

By this time, the boy had finished eating and laid his cup down on the table. His half-closed eyes wandered about in the crowded area.

"I can't find any meaning in me being here anymore. Just looking at the streets make me realize just how much I can't do anything. I want to leave right away. Academy City won't miss a pathetic Level 0 like me so there'll probably be no problems at customs."

"If this is about your level not getting higher, then I'm sure it will work out in the end as long as you remained here in school."

The boy narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low, displeased voice. "This isn't just about powers anymore…"

"Then what?!"

"…"

July 24. That was the date when the victims who used the Level Upper had woken up from a coma. They were students who had desperately sought after the ability to grasp power they could not achieve on their own, and the Level Upper was the answer they had found. That device enabled them to increase their levels, and thus, their powers. But it all came with a price. Those who had used the Level Upper would fall into a coma shortly after its usage.

Takayama Akito was one of them.

At that time, Tatemiya Haruka had been called into the hospital as an acquaintance and found numerous comatose victims caused by the Level Upper. It had all occurred suddenly during that hot summer. The exact moment she got into the room full of hospitalized people, the boy had woken up with lifeless eyes that seemed like it had witness the loss of something valuable to him.

After that, the boy had distanced himself greatly from the entire school. Tatemiya couldn't do anything and only watched from afar as the boy's life gradually became a complete unknown to her. At first, She found him locking himself up in his room for several weeks, then she began hearing rumors of him getting in contact with people he shouldn't have. But still, she remained where she was, believing that this boy had not gone astray. After all, that's the only thing she could do as their relationship was an ambiguous one.

In the end, she didn't receive her reply again. Yet another secret he had thrown into the pile with the rest. It frustrated her that another secret had just been kept from her, but she still had to take control of the situation.

"Alright."

After hearing that single word which came out from that girl's lips, the boy's dull eyes shifted his look towards her.

"Takayama, listen... I really need you!" She let out a loud shout which echoed throughout that space full of people enjoying Daihaseisai.

For some reason, that phrase invited several stares from the people around that area.

"My, oh my….."

"Kids these days..."

"Ohhh… how sweet!"

"I wish my girlfriend was like that…"

And then that boy's blank stare became even blanker, if that was even possible.

"… Huh?"

"You know, I think your just being too hasty. It hasn't even been a year since we transferred so there's really no reason to give up already. Everything will definitely turn up okay in the end so you shouldn't just transfer away like that and leave me behind!"

"W-well, I guess…"

"Everything will be alright! Believe in me!"

Takayama looked at the girl's amber-colored eyes. He was sure her eye color didn't always had that intense color before they had transferred into Academy City so it must have been one of those side-effects which occurred during one of the experiments which had been done on her to become an esper.

"I don't know what you are going through, but you shouldn't just escape from your troubles, alright?"

"Escape… from my troubles… ?"

Several minutes passed as the boy quietly thought what he should do while Tatemiya Haruka just patiently waited for him. She could not allow that boy to leave or else that mental image of him she had sculpted due to his potential would crumble. She could not allow the race with that strong Takayama Akito in her mind to be over yet. In order for this to happen, this weak Takayama Akito should remain here in Academy City.

"… Alright, I'll try."

Those were some small words, but they were enough to calm her heart in the meantime.

Takayama nodded and the girl cheered up. Now, all her worries were gone, but she had forgotten something very important which she should have been focusing on several minutes ago.

"Oh, crap! I completely forgot!"

"What? Did you lose your keys or something?"

"No! I completely forgot about my event! I should have been there ten minutes ago!"

"Ahhh….. I see you're still the same old idiot," remarked the boy.

"Shut up! You're partially responsible for this! Arghh! Keep this for awhile and don't lose it!" The girl threw her bag at him and suddenly began a full on sprint towards a certain direction.

Takayama caught the bag in hand and frowned at the troublesome task he has been given.

"If you got some time, why not try out that event you were assigned to?!"

He heard the girl's shout from far away as she slowly disappeared into the crowd. With the girl out of the picture, he had no idea what he should do now. "Guess I'll be staying here for awhile," he muttered as he looked down on the blue sports bag in his hands.

He had several options. He could meet up with his two senpai's, but he wasn't in the mood for that gorilla-like senpai's drunken uproars and that mischievous one's ridiculous ideas.

"No, that's out of the question. I don't feel like seeing those bastard's faces right now."

Alternatively, he could just return to his dorm and laze around.

"But I have her bag with me. It'll be troublesome if I have to meet up with her again when I have already returned to my dorm…"

Or, he could take _that other route…_

"Try my event, huh? I don't really like the idea of running around and doing all those athletic things. Daihaseisai's an event wherein you could use your powers to get the upper hand so those with high levels have a clear advantage over those who don't."

A clear image of a tiny girl overtaking him in a marathon because of a power she possessed, such as negating air-friction or buoyancy manipulation, popped in his head.

"Like hell I'm just gonna be satisfied with that!" From his pocket, he took out a white envelope containing all the events which have been assigned to him. "Like hell I'm just gonna lose to these damn espers!"

He may have understood that he had a clear disadvantage over espers with powers, but he couldn't stand losing to them as well. No matter how much out of shape he was or how weak he was, he couldn't surrender the victory to some esper using some outrageous power.

He was not wearing his P.E. uniform but he'll find a way.

"Damn it, what kind of event is it? Three-legged race? Pole-jumping? Ball toss? Bread-eating?" He gnawed at his teeth in frustration as he imagined all the possible events those espers will be participating. He slowly opened the envelope and slowly slid the paper up. "It's just gonna be one of those lame events, right? If it is, then physical strength is more than enough. Yeah, yeah, even a Level 0 like me has a chance of winning if it's just something simple like bread-eating or a borrowing race!"

But he was wrong.

Shine! The First Ever Super Ultimate Esper Arena Grand Prix! Have You Got What It Takes?!

"…"

Only those ridiculous words were printed in bold letters in that small piece of paper.

"...….. Nope."

He crumpled the paper, tossed it aside, and headed towards the direction of his dorm with the girl's bag in his hands. "Ahh... It's impossible. I'll just charge my phone and wait for her call to meet up at the dorm."

"Hey! That's him!"

"We found him, guys!"

"Takayama Akito's here!"

"Huh?" Takayama stopped and turned to see a group of four students charging straight at him. They were wearing his school's P.E. uniform.

Without warning, they grabbed his arms and restrained his movements like capturing an escaped lunatic.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"You're the only one who hasn't attended an event yet!"

"You should do your part as well so that the stress on our dear Princess Tatemiya Haruka-sama can be relieved!"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What the hell are you doing?! Get off me!" Takayama struggled as he was dragged away from the busy food stand area and into a giant stadium not too far from where he had been.

At some point, he was forced to sign some paper and was dragged inside the participant's hall.

"H-hey! What the hell was that, 'Academy City is not responsible for injuries and death'?! This is a sports event, right?! This is a ball toss event, RIGHT?!"

Eventually, the four boys tossed him into a wide, sand-covered ground.

The poor delinquent's wild blonde hair shook as he looked around frantically. He found himself in the middle of an incredibly large coliseum.

"HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE FIRST EVER SUPER ULTIMATE ESPER ARENA GRAND PRIX WHERE THE MIGHTY STUDENTS OF ACADEMY CITY BATTLE IT OUT TO BECOME THE ARENA MASTER, THE NUMBER ONE, AND THE SUPREMELY POWERFUL ULTIMATE ESPER!"

Fireworks shot through the sky and loud music that has a theme of death metal played loudly through the multiple speakers.

The coliseum was then filled with an extremely loud roar coming from the hundreds of spectators sitting on the surrounding stands. Young and old, everyone made a great applause as they cheered for the couple of students down at the bottom of the stadium.

"Where the hell am I?!" No idea where he was or what was happening, Takayama looked left and right frantically. He had been dragged to some unfamiliar place without any idea why. More or less, he was the same as a lost puppy. The puppy, or rather, Takayama Akito saw some students from different schools he didn't recognize.

"Come and face the great Metal Shifter of Youei Academy!"

"Hmph… You're all no match for me, Reverse Razor!"

"I am Structurator and I will steal the show!"

"Energy Lock is here! You all best give up right now!"

"Bow down towards... "

The delinquent furrowed his brows enough to create a great amount of wrinkles on his young face as students began announcing their title and ability. "Urghhh… why does this always happen to me?! Don't drag a normal person like me into you monster's all-around freak shows!"

Suddenly, something large hit his back with great force and he fell face forward toward the ground.

"Oh? There's another one?"

With his face planted on the ground, he shifted his eyes up, just enough to catch a glimpse of a man wearing a leather jacket standing with his shadow hovering over his fallen body.

"Well, it's no big deal. Even if you bring in an entire army, it won't be enough for the Number Six, Aihana Etsu!" The man spoke with a wide grin on his mouth.

"….." Still lying on the ground, a sudden change came over the boy. His eyes lit up with burning flames, as if rekindling a lost part of his soul. "I…"

Chaos began in that arena full of battle-hungry espers.

"I…."

Beams, concrete, and unknown objects flew up in the air.

"I HATE YOU DAMN ESPEEEEEEEEEEEEERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

* * *

_**Hospital_visit_Part_4**_

"… like that." Takayama Akito pointed upwards to an imaginary thought bubble above his head after explaining the series of events which happened to him during the Daihaseisai, while Tatemiya Haruka remained seated on a chair beside his hospital bed, intently listening to his explanations.

"What are you talking about? There was no such event. If there was, I would have taken part in it in a second."

"No! There really was! I almost got killed there!" He began scratching at his head in frustration. "I swear. When I meet that asshole Number Six again, I will tear out his organs and sell it to the mafia!"

From her seat, the girl kept teasing the boy for his laughable shortcomings while the same delinquent boy kept on rebuking and growing his frustration even further.

It was just an hour before the visiting hours were over inside the hospital. The day had flew by without the two knowing it as they talked the entire time. The boy had just woken up the day before yesterday and was now feeling a lot better than ever. He will soon be discharged tomorrow.

_Daihaseisai, huh? That was a really long time ago…. Now that I remember, we haven't talked much during that time. But now, we have begun to meet up more frequently. I guess we've gotten closer than before._ Tatemiya thought to herself as she kept mocking the young boy.

They were now reaching the latter half of October. Autumn's colors were already present all around Academy City, accompanying the chilly weather. Despite that cool weather, the girl was still wearing the sleeves of her dress shirt in a rolled-up fashion with only her red necktie serving as fortification from the cold.

"That aside, don't you think our powers are a bit alike?" asked the girl.

"They're more than alike... They are basically under the same power category. We are just calculating the numbers differently. But I wonder… No, I must be imagining it."

Tatemiya noticed the boy was strangely choosing his words carefully, as if trying to figure something out which she had no idea what. His thoughts were heavy as always, and as usual, she can't figure them out.

"If one of us reaches Level 5, it's likely that we would cross each other's borders…"

"Hmmm…." A suspicious glint appeared in her eyes. "We should have a duel."

The Level 0 choked for some reason. "Let's not. Don't you know, a human body can only sustain so much damage until it breaks! I've already spent enough time in the hospital to drain my entire wallet! You damn Level 4! If you want a duel, then go to Tokiwadai or some school with strong espers!"

"You're so boring, Takayama."

Soon, the sun had already began to set.

"I should get going now." Tatemiya got up from her seat.

"Wait." The boy suddenly reached out to stop her but was too far.

She stopped where she stood and saw him avert her gaze for a moment. "What's up?"

"Have you ever… experienced pain when using your power?"

Tatemiya gave him a short pause to think it over. As someone who just transferred not too long ago but had experience and connections as a Level 4 esper, Tatemiya had heard a lot about things related to the conditions and usages of psychic abilities. "No, I haven't, but there are times when one overexerts himself, the overall stress of doing mental calculations can put great pressure on one's own physical condition. Put simply, when you push yourself too hard or when your ability is being forcibly stretched past its limits, or rather, your brain's limits, there's a possibility you can experience pain when using your powers."

"I see…"

"Why do you ask?" Tatemiya raised a brow. The boy had gone quiet for a moment, so she patiently waited for him to answer, waiting if he will just conceal the answer from her again, or if he will finally reveal his deepest thoughts.

"It's… It's nothing. I'll tell you someday, I promise."

"If this is about that medicine you were always taking before, then you have nothing to worry about. It's just vitamins. The container was lying around so I took a quick peek at it. I took something similar before so I know."

"Alright."

"…..." After a moment, the girl regained her carefree smile, lighting up the atmosphere around the room. "If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I'll always be here when you need me."

"... Yeah, thanks."

"We'll come to pick you up tomorrow so get ready. Later!" She waved goodbye as she left the hospital room with a small smile on her face and walked across the hallway. That tiny, shallow smile soon died down and her clouded thoughts drifted away to somewhere else.

Takayama Akito was left in the hospital room, alone. The small room looked entirely clean, much like the previous ones, to which he was reminded how many times he was sent to the hospital.

His attention went towards the ceiling for a while, with his hands beneath his head. He looked at the rubber toy on the small table beside his bed and then back to the ceiling again. A few hours passed with him looking about anxiously. Despite his behavior, there was nothing particular on his mind except for the last thing he remembered prior to being admitted to the hospital.

In a silent motion, he stretched out his hand upwards and gazed at the card being held by that hand. A portrait of a man carrying a sack tied to a stick covered the entirety of the card. Beneath the portrait of that man was a title written in English letters, "The Fool", followed by the number zero. He had a lot of questions in his mind, and to his dismay, there was nowhere he can retrieve the answers from. What happened to that airport in District 23 in the end? Was all that mysterious power really real? Why did he felt strange pain when using his own ability? And most of all…

_What happened to that woman?_

The silence inside that lonely hospital room was deafening, just like that short span of time when he was offered a position at that estranged woman's side. She had offered him power. It was not esper power which he knew fully well, it was a different kind of power with a different set of laws, but it was still power nonetheless. And in the end, he rejected that offer and stood up for what he truly believed in deep in his heart, that there were much more important things than power.

Her goal had been to wipe out those who had great power and create a world for those who were weak and defenseless. For Takayama Akito, that might have been something he had tried to do in the past, that's why he understood what she was trying to achieve. Although, he understood it was delusional. Yes, he understood it because he knew he had delusional dreams as well in the past.

"Ughh… Remembering it gives me a headache…."

"What gives you a headache?"

At first, he furrowed his brows in annoyance, but then he remembered the hospital room door was locked and he was alone. That cute and unfamiliar girly voice came out of nowhere. The reason why he recognized it as girly was that it was so disgustingly high-pitched that one could immediately determine it came from a young girl, not older than a middle schooler.

A cold sweat ran down his spine.

"Over here, over here, Takayama-chan!"

He tensed up, turned his head rigidly to the side, ever so slightly, like a rusty, unused gear, and created a gap in his left palm to generate ice in preparation for a fight. His left hand was behind covers so he could easily project a hidden weapon without this person's knowledge, fully prepared for the after effects to take its toll on him. That voice had likely came from a young girl, but he knew better than to judge people by their appearance.

This disturbing feeling was just like that time with that woman. An ordinary stranger would not be able to understand it at first, but someone who had came into contact with _that _side should be able to easily. They should easily recognize the representation of this warped feeling that was similar to unforeseeable terror.

His vision came within range of the presence of two people. One was a tall man with dark priest clothes and long, red hair and the other was a small girl with fluffy, cotton candy-like, blonde hair, an odd-looking dress suited for parties and a big black witch's hat. The man he could recognize, but the small girl was an unfamiliar face. She was around 12 years old and had likely been born in a foreign country because of her unique features. Underneath the rim of that pointy witch's hat was her eyes which were a pale blue, like the clear waters of a lagoon.

That girl stared at him mischievously while the tall man only glanced at him with no interest.

He recognized this man as the one who had previously tried to kill him, and one of those people who fought that battle at District 23.

_If I recall correctly, this guy's name is Stiyl Magnus. What does he want with me?_ Takayama narrowed his eyes and focused his hostility on him.

In a one-on-one, he would stay and fight as long as it was within his ability. If it was a two-on-one, he would find a way to retreat so he could come up with a countermeasure. Despite this small hospital room, if he could just take out that light bulb at the center with his power, it would rob them of their sight and a chance will surely appear, no, he will make it appear. Once the light bulb was out, he will dash through the gap between them, slash door open, and run towards a safe zone in the hospital. They were about less than 10 meters so a full-on dash should be enough. If they split up looking for him, then he will snipe them one by one. But the only problem was that girl. To some degree, he knew what the tall man, Stiyl Magnus' ability was, despite working on completely different laws than science, but that girl was a completely unknown factor. If it was some ability that could bend reality, then it would all be over. After all, the laws they use were a complete mystery to him. Bending reality may not be all that too farfetched when it comes to their unknown rules.

"No need to be alarmed," said the girl with a beaming smile, but that only made him even more tensed. "We only came here to visit and to give you this." She gently tossed a medium-sized object towards his figure which was lying on a hospital bed, and he caught it hesitatingly. It could very well be a bomb for all he knew.

He felt that hard object in his hands. It was wrapped in something like dark lambskin leather. It was rough and looked out of place, especially in this modern day era. The length was just a bit longer than a TV remote and the width changed with each portion. Just by examining its size, he could already determine what this strange package contained, after all, he tried to replicate it just a minute ago.

"It was a good thing you woke up when you did and not later or we would have died like dogs in starvation," said the girl.

"What do you mean?" asked Takayama with every bit of caution in his words.

"Before she was imprisoned, Lucina put a curse on that thing to whoever was not its designated owner. That curse would eventually take shape at the designated time unless it was returned to its owner," replied Stiyl. "So we were unable to store it in the British Museum or Sword Sanctuary. The curse was crafted with old methods and eccentric symbols so we couldn't remove it no matter what we did."

"It was such an embarrassment for us at Necessarius, even though we claim to be the leading organization in Anti-Magician countermeasures," added the small girl.

At this point, Takayama felt his head had just took a long, rocky voyage in an accident-prone ship, and his head was very susceptible to seasickness.

"Wait, wait, wait, what the hell are you talking about? And who are you exactly?"

The small girl nodded, still with that carefree smile. "Sorry, that must have been rude of me. I am Morgan Le Fay, a member of the Church of England's 0th Parish, Necessarius. This scary-looking guy right here is called Stiyl Magnus, also a member of Necessarius, but you must have already known that."

The boy tried to take the information in with a grain of salt. Of course, not all of it was sinking in. But there was something which had took his interest.

"Magician?"

"That's right," replied the girl. "We are those who have no talent, those who use a different set of laws from that of science."

"That woman called herself a magician as well," said the boy. "She called herself Nemesis, I think."

"True, but not quite, Takayama," replied Stiyl. "That was only an alias she used for the ceremony they would be holding had they accomplished in retrieving the grimoires. Her real name is Lucina Greyheart, just a petty magician of a small magic cabal."

"What? I don't get it. Why change your name like that?"

"Heh, I guess it is hard to understand for someone from the Science side as you," said Stiyl in a mocking tone to which Takayama scowled. "The name Nemesis is the name of one of the four angels of the two elder gods, Nyx and Erebus, and it was part of their plan to play the role of these angels, however, they were lacking a fourth so that might have been next on their list."

"Wait, you're not making much sense again! What's with all these gods and angels!"

The girl, Morgan, let out a small sigh. "Ahhh… guess we have to explain from the beginning. Well, it's part of the reason why we're here."

"You didn't come here to silence me? I thought you would try and kill me after learning all these stuff about your laws."

"Actually, we considered that route, but we determined that it will be much more beneficial if you stayed alive."

The boy breathed a small sigh of relief, without losing his suspicions.

"We will tell you about Magic so that a novice like you won't stumble around and create any mishaps. We wouldn't want you arranging a ceremony unintentionally, and create chaos. Nope, we wouldn't want any of that," said Morgan. "So to begin with, you have to open your mind and accept that this world exists."

Takayama took a moment to recall all the recent events which have transpired. It was hard to believe, but he already had notions about other factors which exists in this world that do not fall into the category of Science, one of them was the Imagine Breaker. "My mind is already open." He wouldn't have if he hadn't indirectly used it back at that time. "I can accept that such unknown variables exist in the world."

That was the world he lived in. Science was not the only thing that exists, there was also Magic. He accepted it. Somehow the world has gotten bigger for the young Level 0.

"Good. You see, Magic has been in existence for a very long time, long before the establishment of your Academy City."

Takayama imagined one of those stereotypical role-playing games in a fantasy setting. There was usually an old man there who will teach the player about magic and will then give him ancient texts which were centuries old or send him to a quest to retrieve some mystical item.

"It is a special phenomenon created by refining one's life force and giving special meaning to one's actions, symbols, and objects. Of course, magic has no relation to scientific laws…"

At this point, the two have already sat down on the two chairs near the door, keeping their distance from him. The way they positioned themselves close to the door made him uneasy.

"Much like that odd energy you espers create, I guess you call it AIM, we of the Magic Side create mana, an energy used for manifesting magic. Of course, there is also natural mana all around us, it's just that mana we create is much easier to control."

Though he wasn't aware of it, the magician named Lucina had used that knowledge to create a disturbance in her opponent's spell, specifically, the clearing field which drives people away from an area, by stabbing her weapon on the ground, the weapon will disrupt the natural mana on the area she had stabbed.

"The phenomenon magic creates is much like those who use science. With the right techniques, one can shoot fire from their hands, become invisible, summon vast amounts of weaponry from thin air and create an excruciating amount of pain from a distance."

Takayama pondered on this. He wondered if he himself can use magic. If it's something like this then it should be no different from learning under the Power Curriculum Program, though he was still just a Level 0 and he flunked a lot in that curriculum.

"But don't get your hopes up, Takayama-chan." Morgan said as if reading his mind.

"Why not?"

"Because magic is only available to those without talent. If someone who had gone through that special program here in Academy City, became an esper, and used magic, there will be dire consequences. You will feel a gigantic stress on your body. It depends from person to person but some cases include internal bleeding and the popping of blood vessels," said Stiyl casually as if he had just dictated this dozens of times before, but Takayama was greatly surprised.

"…..What did you just say?"

"What's wrong, Takayama-chan?" Morgan noticed the unease in the boy.

"It's nothing…."

Takayama had gotten permission to leave the room and was now standing in front of a vending machine in the dark hallway of the hospital. The flood of information was too sudden so he had to take a break or else everything will just spill out. He was not alone, however.

"Hey, is this coffee jelly true? How can people drink from it if the coffee is entirely made out of jelly?" The magician named Morgan was peeking through the window of the vending machine. It was just an ordinary vending machine but the girl stared at it with curious eyes as if it was an invention from the future.

"Just go away, damn brat. I'm not some kind-hearted character who warms up to children." Takayama put some money into the machine and selected a certain brand of coffee, ignoring the small girl beside him.

"Ehhh? Why are you only nice to that doll-like girl? Something tells me you aren't being true to your heart." Morgan placed her fingers on her cheeks and put on a cute smile between her fluffy shoulder-length hair which looked like it was made out of cotton candy.

"That's none of your business."

"You know, if you buy me one, Morgan-chan's affection points will go up by 50!"

"Does it look like I care?"

That smile faded from her small face and he felt the atmosphere around her grew heavy abnormally. "I don't think you understand your situation, Takayama-chan."

"Wha-what?"

"I can destroy you with one flick of my finger."

"Where the hell did that cute act go to?!"

Morgan had eased herself and was now her cheerful self again. "If that won't work, then how about this?" An instant after she said that, purple smoke suddenly rose up from beneath her feet and circled around her. When the smoke had cleared, her entire form had changed, except for her sleeveless dress. She was now taller than him by roughly two inches. Her cotton candy hair was switched with a straight, almost bright brown with a mix of red, hair. Just by looking at her face, Takayama was immediately reminded of someone he knew. "Oh, my~ The chest part is really tight. I feel like they're just going to escape out of my clothes." Her dress was now stretched to its limits, outlining her extremely feminine form. She looked just like Athena in a sexy witch's outfit. That usual innocent face made a mischievous one and glanced over to the young boy. "So, how is it?"

She had expected him to give a funny reaction, with a nosebleed hopefully, but she was surprised by something entirely different.

"Are you done now?"

Through the ambient light coming from the vending machine, she saw his eyes filled with murderous intent. His hand which was out of reach of that light and in the midst of the shadows of the dark hospital hallway was holding an almost transparent blade.

"Sigh…. You can't take a joke, Takayama-chan?" She said in Athena's form.

"I can as long as you only involve me. But if you involve her in any of this, then I just won't let that go." Her earlier remark may not have been a bluff, she could really destroy him with a flick of a finger, but he was not concerned with that.

Her eyes narrowed and a crescent smile appeared from that peace-loving face. "You think you can protect her with just your meager powers? Your ice is as fragile as your heart. If a Saint were to appear in front of you to take her away, will your heart be ready to face death? Do you still think you can fight your way to protect her from this world you had just been introduced to?"

The boy snorted in disgust. "Tch… You're wrong. I don't fight because I think I can protect her, I fight because I have to protect her. Level 5, Magicians, whatever kind of monster comes my way, if I see that carefree smile of hers disappear, then I'll show them hell, and that includes you."

By this time, Morgan had regained her true form and shrugged. And suddenly, a cold feeling had touched her cheek which made her jolt up.

"That's enough, alright?" Takayama held out a can of coffee to her.

She blankly stared at the can before receiving it. Then she saw the boy walk in the opposite direction like nothing happened. "You really aren't being true to your heart. I think my points just increased by ten folds!" She smiled and followed him back.

The lecture went on for a while and topics became even more complex.

"So how do magicians draw their power exactly?" Takayama now gaining some foothold into the knowledge.

"You see, most of us draw our power through the worship of great religious gods and symbols. By giving special meaning to our movements and weapons through the correspondence of symbols we are be able to draw a portion of that power. We call this Idol Theory. Christianity, for example, puts on crosses around churches to create a protective charm because it is the representation of the Son of God and his powers manifests on to them. "

"But will it really work out just like that? Just because your regarding it as some important object, will it really create such special phenomenon?"

The girl grinned and put her hands to her hips. "That's just how the world works. And it's not just regarding them as important objects, you yourself must believe that magic exists! Oh, I'll give myself points for that one."

The boy frowned after hearing the last part of that statement.

"That weapon your holding is also proof of that. Magus Fornias, or what you call Mage Killer, is a spiritual weapon for cutting through lines of mana. It was originally made by the kings of old in the Dark Ages. The kings feared the mysterious power of the magicians so they supplied assassins with weapons to disrupt magic circles and runes."

"…. Why did she give it to me? You said there was some kind of curse attached to it which will kill anyone who is not its owner right? But shouldn't the owner be that woman?"

The girl shrugged. "We are not sure, but, she made it so that you are the real owner now, we don't know why though. She probably just wants to give you a gift or something."

Takayama stared at the package and felt its weight sinking in his hands.

"I think that's enough. We can get to the matter at hand now," said Stiyl from his seat.

"Right, right, we should tell you why exactly we're here now."

"This is because of that incident at District 23, right?"

"That's right," Stiyl replied before placing a cigarette on his mouth without lighting it up. "At the end of that affair, we were all unconscious so we have no idea what had happened. That troublesome spiky-haired boy was the last to arrive at the scene and was no help at all with the deriving of the conclusion of the fight. We only saw the leader of the cabal dead and his assistant frozen in ice so we were hoping you would give us a clear picture."

It did not take long for the boy to recall the turn of events that day. He told them what happened right after they fell in the hands of the man wearing a military uniform and his fight with the magician woman who had betrayed him.

"I see… Guess your death sentence has been delayed thanks to your contribution."

"How can you say stuff like that so casually?!" The boy shouted at the tall magician at the far end of the room.

"Still, she will be imprisoned. She is a dangerous criminal after all, that much is expected of her."

The boy's eyes widened. He had just realized something that he had buried away. _A… criminal….? _He might have forgotten about it intentionally or unintentionally, but nonetheless, that word had a direct connection with him.

"Moving on, there is something else we have to discuss with you."

Takayama frowned at that. He just wanted them to go away and let him get some rest. The night was already late. Now that he thought about it, not a single nurse came into the room to take care of the dinner platter and cups he had laying around, or even in the dark hall ways. These two must have done something to take care of that.

"You see," Morgan spoke up. "We have been investigating the root of this incident and we have found that someone unrelated to the Magic Side was involved."

"Someone who is not a magician or some cultist?"

"Most likely. But we don't know who. This person gave away secret information on grimoires stored here in Academy City to the magic cabal you fought."

"Didn't you question…. Lucina or whatever? And these grimoires, it's obviously Magic Side so why is it here in Academy City, the representative of the Science Side?"

"Of course we did. We even used all the spells at our disposal to question her, but we didn't get anything, sadly. It's as if all her memories of her encounter with that person had been erased. She said she could recall it during her mission, but the instant she left Academy City, all of it just disappeared. And about that last question…" Morgan let out a mysterious grin underneath the shadow of her witch's hat. "It's best you don't involve yourself with that affair."

"So now, we will be keeping an eye you."

"Wait, why me?! " The normal Level 0 boy protested. "I don't have anything to do with all this! You can trust me to not get involve with the Magic Side!"

"That's where you are wrong, Takayama Akito." Stiyl stood and was about to reach for the door. "This has everything to do with you."

"What?!"

"Because even though we couldn't find information on that person, we were able to find out one thing." Morgan stood up as well.

"And that is… ?"

"In compensation for the information on the grimoires, they were told to make contact with you."

* * *

_**Mistaken_Image - Reveal_First_Half**_

Athena, Tatemiya Haruka and Takayama Akito were walking across the bright streets of District 7. With Athena's secret out, Tatemiya decided to show Athena around Academy City.

"There's a lot of people around, huh." The boy looked on around the area. He was wearing his usual clothes, a white hoodie with a curious design imprinted on it and jeans. A small phone, almost like a music player, hung around his neck with a mascot strapped to it.

"So where should we go first?" Tatemiya Haruka asked her two companions. She was wearing her school uniform for some reason and her Judgment armband was not on her shoulder.

"I wish to eat at a restaurant with a special selection of gourmet burgers please," Athena suggested. "My conquest still has not reached its conclusion."

"Eh? But it's not even lunch yet."

"I'm fine with whatever," said the boy.

Tatemiya thought of where to go since her friends were of no help. Really, one cannot expect a normal answer from these two.

"How about you, Tatemiya-san? Where do you wish to go?"

"I honestly don't know. There's so many places to go to. However, some districts really don't have any places where you can stroll around, and I still only have places for five districts in my mind."

"Wait, are you thinking about going all around Academy City?!"

"Huh? Wasn't that the point of all of this?"

"You idiot! That's gonna take us all day! You're talking about walking around one-third of Tokyo!"

"Well, what else can we do?"

They walked for a while until the pony-tailed girl just stopped in her tracks.

"Do you guys mind if we stop at the 164th branch for awhile?

"The 164th branch?"

"Yeah, I'm a member of Judgment's 164th branch. Do you know what Judgment is, Ath-chan?"

"Yes, they are a student organization who keeps the peace in the city. One of their activities include arresting dangerous criminals who can threaten the lives of people living in Academy City."

For a second, the boy's face went blank right after hearing the brief casual exchange of words while Athena happily nodded.

"I forgot something at the office and it'll be really bad if it gets lost."

She heard the girl agree, but the boy's answer never came.

"What's wrong, Takayama?" She looked at him curiously. His eyes were very distant as if his mind was on a whole different place, and his expression was oddly serious, more serious than she had ever seen before.

Something had clicked in that boy's mind that the others had no way of knowing.

"… It's nothing," he casually replied as if nothing happened. His expression regained its calm and denying any of their previous suspicions."... just some unpleasant memories. The office is not too far, right? Let's go."

* * *

**END AN:**

**I wanted to keep this chapter short as I don't want to bring the focus too much on Takayama Akito, but I felt that I had to tie all the loose ends first before heading towards the heart of the plot, and before I knew it, I had to cut Chapter 21 into two chapters. Well, at least the next chapter will come out sooner.**

**With this chapter and beyond I hope that the ties between the canon and non-canon will get tighter and hopefully the non-canon becomes a full member of the ToAru universe.**

**As always, reviews are much appreciated! I love reading reviews! If you got something in your mind or want to suggest something then please do review! I'll entertain your comments to the best of my ability! And if you want, follow and favorite as well!**

**EOF.**


	22. Mental Contradiction: Strengths

**Updated AN - 6/24/2015**

**Alright, I think this is the first time that I did this but what the hell. Time for me to rant about stuff for no reason at all.**

**To be honest, I think I made quite a lot of mistakes in some of the previous arcs, especially the grimoires. I had been rash in writing it and never really digging deeper in and explaining in detail. It was inexperience I suppose. I was and still am a novice. But it's all in the past now and I can't take it back. I will have to learn from my mistakes and move on. So from now on I will try my best and improve as a writer and I hope you will give me your precious insights as well. I hope to start things anew from this point on so if you have anything you like to point out or some criticisms you would like to give, then please share it with me. As a still improving writer, it will really help and motivate me a lot more hearing from you.**

**I really don't know what I should or shouldn't say in the author's notes so I'll just say everything that is on my mind and if it became a spoiler or anything, then it's fine with me. Back when I started all this, I only had the goal of seeing an underdog Level 0 without any powers in the ToAru universe(yeah, I know there's Hamazura and Saten but I wanted it to be OC). I guess its no different than satisfying yourself with making a Mary Stu. In fact, there's a scenario that's the very reason why I created this fic that will come up soon in this arc. **

**But the point is that I might not have really gone for the large scale, worldly Magic side vs Science side point of view when I started all this, mostly because I was still a novice and this was my first fic. I only wrote to satisfy myself through Takayama Akito. I may have considered the large scale view after the first arc, but I have noticed that Takayama slowly began to get overshadowed so I began centering the story more on him. I noticed that the canon can easily win over the non-canon. And yes, I favored the non-canon. That's when the grimoire arc began. ****So I began to spoil Takayama onwards. I didn't want him to lose to the canons or let the canons have too much attention. That might have been a mistake on my part and maybe I had probably drifted too far. ****But then, looking back on it now, what I had truly wanted may have just been for him to merge and be a part of the universe instead of the universe centering around him, neither favoring anyone, canon or non-canon. Now I want to explore the universe in its entirety. I want Magic and Science to collide and clash with one another, and without centering everything on my OC but with the rest of the world and their role in it, while still following the storyline I had already set in place. That's why canon or non-canon, I will explore their POV's with all of my ability, especially the canons, which they so rightly deserve! I am content with Takayama now and with his foundation in the universe so I am ready to move on. I know I mentioned before that I will release things faster, but now thinking on it, perhaps something rushed will hardly be acceptable, so from now on I will try to raise the quality while not being too rash, meaning chapters will take a little more time to release to increase quality, I hope for your understanding on this. The bare minimum now will be 1 chapter per month. Finally, I maybe ready now to face _that certain giant conflict_ at the end of the light novel, although nothing is set in stone yet, _and I mean nothing_ but it is indeed there.**

**This chapter may be the end of my past self-satisfaction and the signal of what's to come. I hope this will be a new start for me.**

**I will hold no punches and continue to dig deeper into the ToAru universe. I admit that my best arc was actually my first one, REBEL, and I have been trying to overcome it ever since then. Although what frustrates me actually was that I didn't really had a concrete plan back then and I just crashed through things blindedly, but I was really enjoying myself like there was no tomorrow back then. That was probably because those were the first few chapters I have written. Also, I deliberately bestowed the Deja Vu power on Tsuyuri because it was so ironic and really contrasted her nature, a timid girl who is easily overshadowed, while the Deja Vu power was something that could have the possibility to change the fates of people, a big game changer. However, its nature is actually quite difficult to write because of its numerous possibilities or consequences, because each time I try to think up what happens after a Deja Vu, I have to start back from the "Checkpoint" and consider all the causes and effects that will happen, all the parallel universes that could happen. Its such a load on my brain, and I get really tangled up whenever I try to put in a story. Anyway, as I mentioned before in this arc, I will not hold back any longer and will plan to expend all the esper powers I have at my disposal and the ones I have yet to introduce.**

**And finally with that, please read and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Mental_Contradiction: Strengths**

* * *

_**Mistaken_Image - Second_Half**_

Takayama Akito's vague last remark had embedded itself unto Tatemiya Haruka. She thought of them as they walked towards her Judgment branch office. She realized she had never taken the boy there before so it should be his first time inside a Judgment office. The thought of that made her realize they were now getting closer and closer to each other. A slight blush flooded her cheeks, but she wondered why after she shook her head profusely.

The recent days have been an eventful one for her. The last one especially left a mark in her memory, but it was was such a mesmerizing and nightmarish experience, even for a student of Academy City, the home of science and espers that it had became a blur to her not long after. But what had really gotten her attention were not those events but the result: Takayama becoming a real esper.

With that boy reaching that status, it was now time for their real race to begin. That dream of her trying and reaching Level 5, while competing with that boy will finally become reality. And that mental image she had sculpted will finally get replaced with the real one.

But still, his silent behavior caught her attention. _I'm probably just imagining things.._

They casually walked on the silent sidewalk with the occasional car passing by, and them passing by trees. The three of them made a strange group. A hyper-active looking girl with her long, black hair tied in a high ponytail, a girl who doesn't look Japanese at all, wearing a blue hoodie two sizes bigger than her, and following them, a quiet boy.

She glanced back towards the boy and saw him gazing down with a sullen expression as he slowly took each step. _No, I'm definitely just imagining things._

That bad feeling she had from before wouldn't calm down, instead, it was growing even more. The distance to the building felt like it was unusually longer than it should.

Arriving at the small red-bricked building, they walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the door to the office.

The boy slowly reached his hand out towards the doorknob. This motion made the girls confused. Tatemiya, especially, had a strange feeling. She has seen the boy acting up whenever she mentions her Judgment branch, even though he has no relation there except for her. Going as far as to say that he was avoiding Judgment wouldn't be wrong.

_I'm just being overly concious..._

The door creaked as they entered. A row of desks alongside a small black couch immediately came into view. On the far end of the room, behind a desk, she noticed a person reading from a folder. It was her branch chief, Hajime Kaiji, sitting on a chair most likely doing Judgment work.

"Morning, Hajime-san," greeted Tatemiya as she approached him.

The sleepy branch chief looked away from the folder he was holding and slowly nodded at her, not even asking what business she had.

"Who is this, Tatemiya-san?" Athena asked from behind her.

"This is Hajime Kaiji, this branch's reliable chief!"

Hajime nodded towards the two non-Judgment members.

A conversation began between the three of them, but beyond that, Takayama remained silent all throughout.

"I forgot something and had to bring my friends along. Is that okay, Hajime-san?"

Hajime's sleepy eyes slowly moved towards her. "That's fine."

Tatemiya turned her back on him and headed towards the right side of the office when a certain boy took a few steps and stopped right in front of the Judgment branch chief and Athena.

Takayama Akito spoke, "Hey, do you have a pair of handcuffs lying around?" His voice was low yet still strong enough to be heard around the entire room. The fringes of his blonde hair covered a portion of his eyes from the two.

Hajime Kaiji looked on with his half-closed eyes. "Yes, we do. Why do you ask?"

From the side, Athena glanced back and forth from the blonde-haired boy and the boy wearing a brown flat hat, with confusion written on her face. "Shishou…. Umm… you haven't introduced yourself yet..."

The boy ignored her and continued to stare down at the Judgment branch chief. "Around July, there were multiple incidents involving a group of Level 0's attacking innocent espers at night. Do you still remember that?" His voice seemed to be growing more agitated by the second.

Hajime put a hand to his chin as his gaze dropped down. It did not take him a minute to recall what had happened back then. During a rainy night, he, Mifune Hisako, and Tatemiya Haruka got a distress call from one of their own members. Along with them, a few Anti-Skill trucks were dispatched to take hold of the situation. That much was expected since there were already several victims who fell in the hands of the aforementioned group. After waking up the new recruit and arriving at District 15, the three decided to split up to widen their net with the intention of reporting to the rest of the Judgment members in case one of them has found their target. Tatemiya Haruka was the only one to make contact and had failed to report back because of her rash actions. All of those were clear now in Hajime's mind. "The one's called Black Wolves? Yes, we were one of the few branches who were on the case at that time. What of it?"

At that same instant, Tatemiya Haruka stopped in her tracks and stood still.

"You should arrest me then."

With eyes of disbelief, the pony-tailed girl turned around as the world seemed to slow down. "It can't be…."

"Because I was one of them, in fact, I was their leader." Takayama's voice resounded in their ears. He recalled the fear in the eyes of those he had struck. He witnessed blood flow from the victim's head like a watermelon's juice leaking out from its cracked surface. And yet still, he went on with his life, ignorant of what he had done, ignorant of the fact that he was guilty for sending despair unto many people. Yet, he lived his life having forgotten everything due to a certain part of him wanting to forget it all. "You called us Skill-Outs, right?" He made a desperate smile. "Truth be told, we didn't really care if we were called Skill-Outs or not, we just did what we wanted without regard for what other people labelled us. And here I was spouting all that crap about not having power when there's something a lot more urgent..." He brought his arms forward, just within reach of Hajime. "You can arrest me now. I'm done running away."

What followed those words was an abrupt silence.

_Takayama… _The pony-tailed girl took an unsteady step forward. Every word sounded like nonsense to her. She knew what the Black Wolves were and how despicable their actions were, but she could not believe that this boy had any part of that. But she also knew so little about him as well. One thing she could say for sure was that he had a part in her rescue during the Skill-Out uprising. Along with three others, he also helped in rescuing her from a Skill-Out hideout in District 10. That was definitely not something that the leader of the Black Wolves would do. And so she had set a foothold in that boy's foggy nature, revealing that he was indeed capable of connecting with other people, including her. She began to grow curious. She wanted to know more about him, to set more footholds, enough to maybe... maybe disregard that competition she had setup and just slowly enjoy their normal high school life in Academy City along with her friends.

Takayama then felt a tug from his left sleeve, and then the tug turned into a hand which grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Please don't take him away," Athena pleaded in a delicate voice that almost sounded like it was about to break. She did not know what exactly was going on, but she knew that this boy was not a bad person, no matter what people said. There's no one else more important to her than this reckless boy who faced danger all on his own.

"You…" Takayama looked towards her in surprise. He sensed what she was thinking, and he also didn't want to leave her but there was no escaping what he had done. To keep her peaceful life, he will have to surrender her to Tatemiya. Since she was a strong esper, he had no need to worry. He had to pass the baton after all he had promised to take care of her since being arrested right here for the crimes of ruthlessly attacking espers will surely send him to Academy City's juvenile hall, the Reformatory.

"Excuse me…" Hajime quietly raised his hand to get their attention, and it did.

The three of them turned their heads towards the branch chief, who was still sitting behind his desk.

"I don't think that is possible since we don't have a warrant and…"

"You dumbass!" Takayama shouted. "I'm that scum who hit people's head with a baseball bat! Isn't that already enough reason?! Is your brain working properly?!"

"I'm sorry," the quiet Hajime replied with a calm voice. "And also, the warrant is not the only reason we have for not arresting you…"

Takayama stretched his focus on every word Hajime sent him.

"You see, it is true that the Black Wolves' crimes are enough reason for requesting a warrant of arrest from the main Judgment office, however, we cannot do so even if we tried."

"Why can't you receive your warrant then?! If you are unable to, then that means you won't be able to arrest me!" Takayama had no idea what the system was like in Judgment so getting a clear picture of it was difficult for him.

"It is because the Black Wolves have already been arrested. All of them, including their leader."

"What…?!" Takayama froze in place.

"Anti-Skill apprehended them after finding their hideout between the border of District 15 and 7. The three members were sent to the Reformatory soon afterwards."

"That can't be…" Takayama Akito's eyes looked on with disbelief. That fact about the hideout was true based on his memories. But there was a contradiction, and that was the simple fact that he was still here. He was the leader of the Black Wolves, and he should be the one in the Reformatory. This made him uneasy, just like when someone finds his entire belongings stolen without him knowing it. Having someone take his position in the Reformatory because of what he had done felt wrong. It was possible, if what Hajime was saying was true, that someone had taken his identity as the leader and continued the Black Wolves' activities while he was unconscious from using the Level Upper. But there was also another thing he was concerned with. "One of the members was a girl who had most likely broken a few bones, is she okay? Did the other member do anything else to her?" His voice sounded weak compared to before.

"Takayama, don't press things any further…" Tatemiya slowly approached.

"Shishou…" Athena softly mumbled while still clutching on to the boy's arm while her face was still filled with worry.

"The higher ups raised it as confidential. I can't disclose any information regarding them with you." Hajime slowly shook his head.

* * *

_**Friendly_Outing**_

They had left the Judgment branch office and entered a shopping street. Takayama's recent behaviour left a certain awkward mood between the three, not as terrible as Takayama Akito had predicted after leaving the office because Athena and Tatemiya Haruka carried on as usual but with a bit more silence in between their conversations.

Athena noticed the boy looking down as they walked. "Let's get something to eat, shishou." She let out her usual smile as she tried to cheer the boy up while Tatemiya just glanced from the side.

"Yeah, we should." Takayama nodded. He had been thinking things through ever since they left the office. He didn't exactly know what was happening, but he could come up with a few possibilities. About two months ago, he had heard that someone posed as the leader of Big Spider, one of the notorious Skill-Out group in Academy City. The same thing must be happening again. But he wasn't sure of the condition of the other members, if someone was posing as them or if they were indeed arrested.

In any case, he had to resolve himself in investigating this for the sake of resolving this incident, despite still wanting to convince Hajime to arrest him. He knew he wouldn't be able to do anything with the ones stuck at the Reformatory, or all the terrible stuff he had done, so this was the only option he had. If there were any loose ends that needed to be tied, he will do so immediately.

Of course, he had to find a suitable punishment for himself later.

Takayama relaxed his clenched fists and walked forward as he followed the two in front.

"Isn't that Tsuyuri-san?" Tatemiya walked towards a girl who was looking through a window of a certain shop, and Takayama and Athena quickly followed, brushing through the barrage of people.

"Tch… Why did it get crowded suddenly? Is there some kind of five minute sale or something?" Takayama took unsteady steps and tilted his body from left to right like he was on a dancing platform of a game machine.

"Shishou, please keep up or you will be left behind."

"I know. It's just that there are so many people around," he replied with an annoyed tone.

When they had reached the girl with bobbed hair, Takayama grasped his knees and wiped the sweat off his forehead while Tatemiya introduced Athena to Tsuyuri Aki.

The boy watched the people walking through the street when something had suddenly pushed him on his back.

"Why are you hanging out with so many beautiful girls, Mr. Rowdy Hospital Patient?!" A boy wearing glasses shouted angrily as the vein on his forehead suddenly grew bigger.

"W-waaahhhh!" Takayama got knocked forward and unsteadily moved about as people rammed him from every direction like some kind of pinball machine. His sudden trip took him to uncharted lands, towards the three girls and unto the direction of the frail, bobbed-haired girl's modest chest. "Waahhh! Damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" He twisted his body around to minimize the damage as much as possible as he plunged into that innocent girl's precious territory, but it was inevitable.

"Kyaahh!"

A hitch pitch scream rang out, and before Takayama could open his eyes, someone suddenly pulled his arms from the body of the frail girl and spun him around to face the other direction.

"Takayama…."

"Shishou….."

The boy met the menacing glares of his two companions as he lay half collapsed on the street. "He-hey, this isn't my fault alright?! Stop staring as if you're planning to gouge my eyes out!" He stood up and eventually repeated the same clumsy routine because of the people passing through, and again, the two girls towered over his poor state on the street.

"So you have learned to indulge yourself, Takayama-san…" The boy named Atsuchi Tomoya emerged from the crowds and approached them. "But you haven't gained the strength to endure at least this much. This is because of your arrogance for showing off!"

"What the hell are you spouting about?!"

After the ruckus had settled, the five of them decided to have lunch together so they immediately went towards a family restaurant. Athena held Takayama Akito back from murdering Atsuchi Tomoya while Tatemiya Haruka and Tsuyuri Aki just ignored the two idiots and peacefully talked amongst themselves.

It was a messy scene as Takayama remembered. The people there were wearing fashionable things, like some kind of high class socialites, just as usual. His last visit to District 15 was not all that pleasant and he was thankful he did not have to go through that again.

After entering a nice family restaurant with a medium amount of people, just enough to see three vacant tables and only a few small groups of those well-clothed socialites, they sat themselves on a table at the front while the mood gradually became lighter and festive.

Tatemiya, the only Level 4 of her school, Atsuchi, the class representative and a Level 3, and Tsuyuri, a Level 3 with a queer power, examined the menu, flipping the pages every so often. Their relaxed nature remained the same even while looking through the almost-expensive, just within the border of reason for an ordinary student, food items.

While Takayama Akito, a Level 0, and Athena, a live-in non-student, were...

"Shi-shisou... Is this even possible?! Have we crossed through a different dimension that I have begun to see more digits than usual?!"

"It's fine. If we just search hard enough, we should be able to see something that even our little minds can grasp. This world shouldn't be that cruel to disregard people of our status!"

"What's wrong?" In front of Athena, Tsuyuri looked up from the menu with a puzzled expression.

"After much analysis, we have decided on this super cheap salad that's barely just a dry leaf and can only replenish 2% of my energy, and water," Athena pointed out.

"Huh?"

"We're flat broke," Takayama stated plainly.

With a sidelong glance, Tatemiya replied in a bored tone, "Just pick whatever you want. It's on me." Directed more towards Athena than Takayama, her voice seemed uncharacteristically monotonous. This was an unusual behavior for her, but despite that, nobody took notice.

Athena happily looked around this group of friends and then towards the boy beside her. Her face became uneasy for a moment and then became filled with resolve. Takayama noticed this and seemed to realize what was going on. "Umm… shishou, can I…?" She mumbled to him, and he sighed a bit. After some waiting, Athena got permission from Takayama to reveal her secret, to which the boy was very reluctant. But it seemed the boy trusted these three people unconditionally.

"I see… That really explains a lot." After hearing the brief explanation, Atsuchi said in amazement. "No wonder you look like that. N-n-not that there's anything wrong with your appearance or anything!"

"I appreciate your understanding very much." Athena bowed a little from her seat. "I see that being exposed to Academy City's technology so much has made people accustomed to these kinds of things."

However, they did not disclose the fact that they were chased by an underground organization, or their conflict with them.

Beside the window, Tatemiya's narrowed eyes slowly glided through the table towards the blonde-haired boy as she rested her cheek on her hand. She had not spoken anything about what that boy had brought up during their time in the Judgment branch office after they had left. She had not doubted the facts that her branch chief stated, but she had come up with her own stand for the recent events regarding that boy and the Skill-Out group, the Black Wolves. And she was determined to approach that boy eventually.

After finishing their lunch, Atsuchi and Takayama went to the bathroom at the far end and got out after some time.

"You don't get it, Takayama-san. The reason I can hold back is because looking at them in their normal appearance is already satisfying."

"You fool! Stop speaking like that or someone might misunderstand! Aren't you supposed to be the monk-like character who always avoids those kinds of topics?!"

"But you really don't understand, Takayama-san. There are people such as me who are content with observing girls in normal clothes like kneesocks and long skirts. Our country's pop-culture these days are full of people with outrageous tastes so people like me are rare."

"Like hell I care about that stu—"

"Wahh!"

A gentle flutter caught Atsuchi's point of view as the boy beside him fell down abruptly.

"A-Are you alright, dear customer?" A waitress with long, dark hair looked around wearily at her surroundings. Her face was very mature and gentle, just like caring big sister. She faced the boy after gently brushing the bottom of her dark blue skirt which hovered over her black stockings, all the while enduring the pain she took from her fall.

"Owww…." Takayama reached for the parts that hurt while he was sitting on the floor next to that waitress. "Be careful next time." He turned towards the waitress and saw an appealing college-aged girl.

The pretty waitress stood up and let out a hand to the boy, but he had already stood on his own, while having his blank stare fixed on that waitress.

"I hope you don't think too badly of us because of this, dear customers."

The two high school boys remained still as they ogled her.

"I will now take my leave, dear customers." She bowed and gave a small wink that dashed glittering sparkles to the boys.

They watched as she left and the spell lifted on them almost immediately.

"T-Takayama-san, I think she just sensed what I was thinking just now. Our wavelengths must be in sync or she wouldn't have taken notice of me and gave a sign! I may have said something bad about our culture, but a clumsy waitress can indeed transcend that!"

"Hah?! What the hell are you talking about?! She was definitely worried about me!"

Then Atsuchi's glasses reflected a bit of wandering light which concealed his eyes as he gave a blank look towards his friend. "You really don't know anything, do you Takayama-san?"

Athena casually arrived at the scene to stop the two just as they were about to go at each other's throats.

"So you guys were showing Athena-san around Academy City? That is a fairly steep quest you are on." Tsuyuri brought that up from her seat. The two boys were now back in their original state of mind, but she was completely oblivious to all that.

"Really? I think we could at least cover half of Academy City in just a day."

"But I don't think Athena-san will enjoy all the sights if you just rush things like that," Atsuchi responded. The said girl wanted to say something but couldn't keep up with them.

"Maybe we should all go to a theme park or something?" Tsuyuri added. "I think there was a huge one in District 6."

"Ah! Maybe we should go all out and have something extravagant such as holding a party!"

"M-maybe I should call some of my friends like Saki-san?"

"Ohh~ That is a good idea, Tsuyuri-san," Tatemiya began. "I think I'll ask my classmates as well. Let's do something flashy!"

Atsuchi got an idea. "Then we'll call our classmates as well. It will be fun with more people around!"

"Umm… I would like to interject." Athena's gentle voice caught their attention instantly, bringing a halt to their brainstorming. "If it is okay with you all, I would only like to get a good view of Academy City," She smiled and looked very grateful for some reason, perhaps it was because she was surrounded by such nice people. "And if possible, with only the five us…" She looked towards them and seeing their assured smiles was enough to give her their answer.

The instant they left the restaurant, they looked up and noticed the sky began to grow orange. The destination they had decided on however was not too far but still a bit a ways from the urban District 15. As they walked with a certain brisk pace, the number of people began to thin out little by little. The grey pavement was ruddied with the past footsteps of Academy City people. But, it was gradually replaced with grass and dirt, and then back into pavement with a clearer color, free of markings from any kind of shoe. Then they were met with a slope. All the noises of the urban district was left behind entirely. Their chatter did not stop even after they left restaurant, but one silent boy stood out.

The one behind the group, Athena, noticed that even in this peaceful atmosphere, his face was clouded with doubt and deep thoughts. He was a few steps in front of her but not mingling with the group in front. His earlier actions shocked her. From what she had heard, he had done something utterly terrible in the past, something that merited him imprisonment. She did not know what brought it on, perhaps the guilt had caught onto him, that denying it would be impossible. But even so, whether he was good or bad, whether someone out there had suffered in his hands, she will still walk beside him no matter how much pain or tragedy comes their way. That was her ultimate decision. Hopefully, this will ease his burdens by even a tiny bit.

"Hey, your straggling too much. You'll be left behind at this rate." Takayama looked back towards her. Seeing their distance, he slowed down so that they were much closer to each other and gently moved his hand in order to grab hers. Her eyes were drawn to the sight of watching the movement of his open hand. But the hand stopped suddenly as it reached a distance of an inch away from her hand that had already bloomed gently at this point to welcome that invading hand of his. It jerked as if realizing something wrong in its actions before it went back into that boy's pocket. "A-anyway, don't stray too far alright?" He said looking away from her while scratching the back of his wild blonde hair. His distance did not change however. He was only just two steps away from her.

She let out a confused expression upon seeing that boy's weird behavior. Remembering back at a certain time, they were holding hands all the while being chased by an underground organization from the dark side of Academy City until they met a mysterious girl who eventually helped them, so she wondered why was the boy reluctant in grabbing her hand now. She examined her hand for a while until it looked like nothing will turn up, and continued climbing the slope.

Their trek continued with the destination unknown to her. They were on an extremely narrow road that only people can fit. She looked around the row of sturdy green trees surrounding them. She had already forgotten how much distance they covered. She may have already been content with hanging out with her friends at the restaurant, but she was curious to see more of this world, like a child who had gone outdoors for the first time. Also, she hoped that her precious someone will be able to enjoy himself as well. After a few more steps, her wide eyes move to the left and saw the large, bright orange sun hovering over the horizon. Cradling that sun, the sky stretched out as far as she could see. Its mixture of colors was already changing to sunset. And finally, below that ball of light was the proud city of science, her birth place, Academy City in its entirety. Its signature wind turbines stood tall around the concrete landscape, swirling gently to the direction of the wind. Her tour around the city may have to be postponed for now, but the view had wiped that concern entirely. She moved towards that direction through the open area jutting from the gigantic hill they just climbed. She felt a tug on her hand, and before she knew it, Tatemiya Haruka brushed past her, pulling her arm and raising her pace, with Tsuyuri Aki barely catching up. As they raced through bricks laid out on the ground, the smiling girl led them towards the small fence marking the edge so that they could get a better view of the city, and meeting with the casual, cool breeze of October.

Watching their backs, Takayama wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead and decided to rest on one of the benches facing the eminent sunset while Atsuchi followed.

"To think that we're getting along now. I wouldn't have imagined it." The glasses-wearing class representative spoke up suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Well, you were really obstinate before. And I was sure I had failed in convincing you back then." Atsuchi's eyes remained facing forward. "Do you still hate us? Are espers still all that bad to you?"

Takayama scratched the back of his head. But despite the unamused face he was making, he was not all that annoyed by the topic. "You were right that you failed in convincing me. Even after that incident, things were still like that with me. But right now, you espers aren't half bad, I guess. Ahh… it's weird calling you that since I'm one of you now."

"I'm glad to hear that." Atsuchi smiled.

"I was actually surprised that you weren't scared shitless."

"Scared?"

"Surely you must have caught whiff of some rumors that I had beaten people along with some delinquents or got into street fights from our classmates? Well, they're not wrong. To a certain extent, you must have some inkling feeling of that when you had approached me. And you know… those rumors… may only just be the tip of the iceberg..."

Atsuchi nodded just as the delinquent's voice trailed off. He had understood the meaning behind those last words. "Yeah, I knew. I was prepared to face you even if you tried to beat me up. And if you were involved in something even more dreadful, then that's still okay with me. I would still try and help you, after all, that is what a hero would do."

"A hero? Heh… you're not joking with me are you?"

"Of course not," Atsuchi's eyes turned serious. "As someone who is striving to become a hero, I can't let anyone suffer. I promised myself that I would bring you back from that side."

A glimpse of someone collapsing on the muddy ground in a dark back alley appeared in Takayama's mind. His hands were the main perpetrator of it all. Even he couldn't believe that it was all because of him that something cruel like that happened. "Suffering. Yeah, I might make more people suffer if I was left unchecked," he said miserably. "I probably haven't changed all that much compared to back then."

"Hm? What are you talking about?" Atsuchi sounded genuinely confused and a bit annoyed. "I mean _you_. Even you suffer and feel pain, right?"

Takayama felt a familiar hard grip in his stomach as the sounds of rain and the darkness of Academy's back alleys rushed through his senses like a vengeful ghost. Being alone and cowering in fear as he stood there were the most immediate which come to his mind. And that was even after his failure at that old abandoned warehouse.

"I came to put a stop to your suffering, like a hero would. Even if you had done some terrible crime, I will shoulder all that with you. As the now representative of all the espers you have rained despair on in the past, I forgive you in their behalf." He thumped his fist unto his chest and straightened his back as if giving a small declaration.

Takayama glared at him "You think it's going to be as easy that to remove all those sins from me?"

"Of course not, that's why you have to work hard as well and make sure to never do those things again." The boy's eyes moved to the distance. "But I was happy that in the end, even you put yourself on the line during that incident. You were a real hero back there."

"A hero huh…" The blonde-haired boy smiled with languish. "That's wrong. You're never more mistaken in your life. That door already closed out on me a long, long time ago and it will never open for me again no matter how much I bang on it. Someone like me is only worthy of being trash."

Atsuchi wanted to object but decided let it go in order to prevent another dispute.

"If anything, you were the real hero," Takayama directed his words towards the exhausted girl approaching them. She must have decided to withdraw from the race half-way through.

"Huh?" The frail Tsuyuri Aki tilted her head in confusion while grasping her knees once she stood before them.

"Thanks for saving my skin back there," the blonde-haired boy's face gained an unusual calm, or perhaps it was gratitude. "I hate to admit it, but you really did prove that not all espers are bad. Even those guys at the Reformatory would think the same thing if they were in my shoes."

"I'm not really sure what is going on but I am glad to help," Tsuyuri responded with uncertainty after looking back and forth from the two and then with relief and joy, even though she was not aware exactly what she had done.

After a minute or two, Tsuyuri Aki and Atsuchi Tomoya left the bench and approached the vending machine on the roadside at his back.

The last light of day stretched out past the blonde delinquent who was now sitting alone on the bench. He glanced around the open area. He would have regained the peaceful balance had he not confessed, but he decided that running away from that was not the best option. And a lot of people had given their thoughts to him in that regard, but there was still one left.

The light in front made a patch of shadow, and he soon found himself looking up to see the pony-tailed girl approaching him. Her eyes were dead-set on something, and it looked like he won't be able to escape this one as well.

"We need to talk."

Gripping the fence while watching the slow decent of the sunset, Athena's carefree smile bathed in the sunlight. She was glad that today went by without incident. As for tomorrow, she hoped that something similar will happen again.

"Hey," Takayama walked up to her. He scratched the back of his head and avoided eye contact shyly. "Was everything alright today? I know I said some weird things earlier, but you can just forget about it for now. It was no big deal and you shouldn't concern yourself with it."

The girl nodded, kept her smile from fading, and decided to trust in his words. "Thank you for today, it was really fun."

The boy was still looking away, but it seems he was glad. "Can I ask you to get back on your own tonight? Tatemiya and I have some business we need to do."

And then the girl widened her eyes slightly and looked puzzled by those last words.

* * *

_**Mistaken_Image - A_Certain_Duel**_

A pony-tailed girl with a stern-looking expression that would drive away anybody who saw her, stood in the middle of a riverbank at night. Her arms were crossed impatiently and her Judgment arm band was not pinned on her shoulder, and she was glad it wasn't because what she planning to was not something a peacekeeper of Academy City should do. Then the boy she was expecting appeared on top of the road and walked down the grassy slope towards the riverbank at her level. His white hoodie stood out in the dark space so she could easily notice him.

"Took you long enough," she said without much thought.

"I had a feeling this was your intention the moment you came to me." He stopped just about a dozen meters in front of her. "And running away from you is practically impossible, it'll be easier to climb the walls of Academy City." Just like the girl's Judgment band, the phone and the mascot toy hanging around his neck were nowhere to be seen.

The girl nodded, eyes closed, and showed her serious amber-colored eyes to him. "I don't doubt Hajime-san, but I will still believe in your claim. I had a feeling you were like that behind my back during that time," she said exhaustingly as if she had no real interest in the issue and wanted to discard it right away to get unto the main topic. "So you hated espers, huh? Let me ask you." She looked at him critically. "Why?"

Before answering her, Takayama took a deep breath. He didn't let himself lose so he met her eyes head-on. "It's because I had envied everyone for becoming something I had failed to become... But most of all, I had been weak." He remembered the root of everything back then. If only he had not been so desiring of everything of the power he did not posses and had not hated the students of Academy City, the espers, so many people wouldn't have to suffer.

"But you're different now. Whatever you went through, you're completely different now compared to before," she said, ascertaining herself. From the very beginning, this was what she had wanted, from the very deep corners of her mind where she was hardly conscious of, to have this Takayama Akito reach the level of that one she sculpted on her own. But now thinking back on it, why did she create that image? She had likely not known it herself, perhaps this was one of the reasons why she was standing right in front of him now. "No matter if you really were a Skill-Out or not, I will be the one to straighten you. If you are still holding some kind of evil intention within you, then I will erase it completely before you become some kind of threat. So now this is your chance to prove that you're firmly set on this side and not on that dark one. Well come on, then! This will be your punishment." Tatemiya raised her arms to guard herself, just like a stance for self-defense, and straightened her focus. "I will have the privilege to beat some sense into you so you better go all out with your power."

"No." The boy shook his head. "This is all because I have never found the strength in me."

She took those words but never understood them. She saw the boy spacing his legs apart from each other and lowering his center of body. It would look like he was preparing for a street fight, but she hadn't thought too deeply on it. The rush of blood she was feeling in her body wouldn't stop. She was already anticipating his esper ability in their fight.

Once a light breeze blew past them, hardly swaying the small grass, they made their move. The silent starting signal fired and, at the same instant, the girl swung her fist forward. A blast of heat shot in a straight line towards the boy. It looked like the mirage-filled space of a desert had just appeared out of nowhere and created a straight boundary across the space between them.

"Gh?!" Takayama skipped to his right just before that heat brushed past him. He looked at the ground where that heat passed and saw that the grass had dried, and some had been removed from the soil, like someone just drew a big line with a giant white marker on the riverbank. "You're really not holding back huh?"

"Of course not!" The Level 4 said just as she punch the air three times with both of her fists, and again, a wave of heat cut across the surroundings and went straight towards the Level 0 boy. "If you can even land a single hit on me, it's your win!" She said while grinning. "The loser will have to do anything the winner says!"

Takayama ignored her proposal and dodged every time. The heat stretched out to spots where he had been and had its grass and earth dried to the point that not a single moisture was left. This being a punishment was likely just a lie and her true intention was to have a duel with him. Their distance proved to be a problem. Her heat waves reached a long distance and it would be more difficult dodge if he came closer to her, this he learned during his fight with a certain Level 5. But that was not the only problem. Her heat wave could stretch out from all directions and what she was doing now was just an alternative to focus all that heat into a single point. Slowly he will begin to notice that fighting against her will prove too difficult because—"Gah!" He grimaced a little just as he touched the skin of his own hand, and only a few minutes had passed since the start of the fight. _No! I just have to force her to stay on one spot until that happens._ His skin already felt like it had took a dip on hot water.

"Oi! Why are you slowing down now?! I've barely just even started!" The Level 4 shouted out loud just as she launched another set of heat rays.

The Level 0 responded by leaping from side to side while brushing away from those condensed lines of heat. He made extremely sure that he will not make a mistake in his footwork, or else he will leave an opening for this girl, the strongest esper in his school. Thankfully, the moon was bright enough to get a good vision of the ground.

The landscape gradually began to change as earth and grass began to erode and wilt away as minutes upon minutes passed on, but Tatemiya Haruka was not focused on that, she was only focused on this boy who she wanted to challenge for a long time. She launched her attack relentlessly on him, like she was releasing all the pent up desire she had accumulated.

Gritting his teeth, Takayama pushed his body again to the side. He was yet to be hit by an attack, but he was also unable to find a chance to execute his own. This may have looked like a stalemate if he could keep up his evading but that was not the case. Hot sweat ran down all over his body as he maintained his distance while evading the attacks being fired at him, and the temperature of his skin gradually increased with each minute such as a sweat drop would evaporate in a few seconds over his skin. The Level 4's attack did not have a destructive power like a Meltdowner, what it did have, however, was an absolute power that will allow her to win even without going as far as using these immense heat rays. That's right, she could win this just by standing still, as long as the target was unable to stop her from using her power. By standing still, she would emit heat around her target's surroundings and rob them of their stamina, body fluids, and energy. They will collapse of heat stroke in the end. It was a cruel alternative. Back when he was a member of the ones called the Black Wolves, he analyzed and studied espers in-depth. This along with his knowledge of Personal Realities were engraved into his brain. That's why the only option he could come up with right now was to stop her from making mental calculations and use that gap in time for his attack. In order to do so, he had to give her brain a distraction.

While still continuing on the offense, Tatemiya noticed the boy had gone near the edge of the riverbank. "What's he doing?" She muttered to herself. She launched another attack and then the boy jumped and landed on the river. "Is he trying to regain his strength by using the cold water?" She saw the boy get up and ran deeper into the water. It was barely knee high, surprisingly, so it was possible to move about without being swept away by the current that was flowing east of Academy City in order to meet with the ocean. But then it will be hard to move around, she realized, and then repeated her attack again to monopolize on those sluggish movements.

After landing on the river on all fours, the boy felt his hands relieved by the cool water. He briefly saw steam radiate from the spot where he had dipped his hands but this was no time to relax. He moved deeper towards the middle of the river just as he saw another wave of heat rushing towards him, his feet resisted the volume of water as he desperately ran.

Once the heat ray made contact with the water, that portion of the river where it made contact had disappeared. Steam rose up, and a splash of hot water erupted and rained down on him. He grimaced as every droplet touched his skin. This time around, he turned a full circle and skipped backwards to get a view of his opponent. And just as he thought, Tatemiya was already chasing after him in the river.

Once the girl entered the water, the river began reaching beyond the limit of its boiling point, a phenomenon only the girl could achieve. However, to say that she had heated the water once she had touched it would be inaccurate. In fact, she had not touched the water at all. It did not take five meters from the river for the water to reach a temperature that was already beyond critical. It was like lighting paper up with a matchstick. The fire would consume the paper entirely with little resistance. She created a similar phenomenon. As she advanced, the water began to disappear and be replaced with steam. The river had began to thin out and small patches of uneven ground jutted out from the descending waters.

By the time she reached the center, Takayama Akito was shocked to see that half of the river had been erased completely. And once again, he was inside her domain of heat. He was swept by an unpleasant feeling that was like being exposed to the scorching flares of the Sun.

And then the same scenario began again. The Level 4 Flare Cloak draped the river with a curtain of the Sun's unfathomable atmosphere. She blasted a heat ray towards the Level 0, and he dodged, but the river was chipped away as their battle progressed. That power did not have an explosive effect like a nuke or a simple bomb, but it was absolute. The longer the battle progressed, the more closer to defeat her opponents was. There will only be one conclusion as long as she was standing there manipulating the entire battlefield with her heat.

"What's wrong?!" Tatemiya shouted in agitation. She already knew what the boy's plans were. He will create a diversion and stop her from using her powers momentarily, that's what she had predicted based on the few times they met and his nature for creating plans. But she already knew that, and she had deemed that will never work on her. He will create something that will block her vision, somehow, and get her with a single hit. But she could easily bring him down if he got within reach of her and turned it into a fistfight. This would be a disappointing duel for her if that occurred. There was no way Takayama Akito could win this fight, but perhaps with that power of his, the fight would be a far greater challenge. "Why not use that power you had gained from that fight back then?! Why don't you use that esper power already?!" If he could use his powers, then he would have a way to counter her heat. But he hasn't used it once in this fight. This frustrated her greatly. It was impossible that it was part of his strategy. _So why?! Why isn't he using it?!_

"Even after reading all those books and becoming an esper, I still don't have the slightest clue what a Personal Reality is. Maybe it's that feeling you get when you're really high or something." He smiled a smile that had a simple purpose of mocking her. "Sorry, all that may actually be just a fluke so you're stuck with the poor, old regular Level 0 me."

She didn't believe that. There must have been a reason why he was holding back, she asked herself continuously. She saw him remove his thick, white cotton hoodie and tied its sleeves around his waist, leaving him with only his blue shirt and jeans on. He must have been sweltering with such thick clothes on so he decided to reduce what he wore. Tatemiya saw the boy's slim, androgynous build for the first time. She has seen dozens of thugs, delinquents and Skill-Outs throughout her career in Judgment so it was difficult to accept that this boy had been a leader of those degenerates.

"And you're wrong about one thing. What I had gained from that fight is not this power everyone has. What I had gained was the power to face my own weakness. So stop complaining, Level 4!" Takayama began running again through the barren lands that had once been a river full of fresh water. The white hoodie dangling from his body fluttered as he created movements

The bombardment of heat started up again. The Level 0 continued to dodge the heat rays being flung at him while enduring the ambient heat being emitted by the girl. He was thoroughly impressed by his friend's power as an esper, especially since they had transferred into Academy City at the same time. But still, he continued to endure the attacks. After all, he already had a plan in mind. _It's only a matter of time….I just have to distract her with something…_

While Takayama was thoroughly amazed by his opponents strengths, dodging and escaping from her attacks, Tatemiya Haruka, who was on the other side, gradually looked displeased. The boy was able to dodge her attacks, yes, but that was all. That was the only thing he was able to achieve throughout this fight. This will end without her even breaking a sweat or even a single exchange of blows. This was not the type of battle she had wanted. "Let's stop this." She looked at the boy's condition, and his poor, exhausted face immediately went into view. His messy blonde hair drooped around his face like it had lost its energy. He was panting non-stop and his bare skin was emitting steam. His skin's temperature should already be high enough to feel a sting with a simple touch of a finger. His body fluids will be depleted in no time if this went on a bit longer. And beyond that, it's likely he doesn't even the strength left to unleash a punch. "Takyama, let's just stop this. There's no way you will win," she said not with arrogance but with pity. She watched him skip back or jump to the side as she put forth her fists. "It's impossible for you to win."

A sudden burst on the ground had sent some small numbers of pebbles and sand flying through the air. Takayama Akito would have been in the middle of that had he not jumped to his right. Though the explosive power of her attacks was not comparable to something like a Meltdowner or a nuke, it was still able to achieve a small blow that was like a violent wind had slammed on the ground, and it was thanks to her eroding the earth completely that it had turned the ground soft enough for even her condensed heat to pummel. The river could already be called a desert at this point.

If her attacks had landed straight onto his body, he would have been roasted and all the fluids he had within would have evaporated. That was how intense her heat was. "It's impossible for a Level 0 to win, Takayama, and you know that." She said in a low voice. Looking at him in his pitiful state was already unpleasant enough that she couldn't stomach it any longer. "So just give up already. I don't want to see you suffer like this." Her power did not possess a destructive nature like a nuke, but it was an absolute power that will slowly inflict pain on those who she was facing. They will face a very slow death instead of a quick one that only something like a giant explosion or the redirection of blood flow could achieve. There was no way a Level 0 could defeat that. Even if it came down to a battle of strength and endurance, she would easily win. Even if that boy had a plan, she had already figured it out. There was absolutely no way Takayama Akito could turn this hopeless situation around, not against a Level 4 like her. "A Level 0 is too weak, Takayama. You must realize that…" Her mental image of him was mistaken all along. Perhaps she had been wrong to choose him as her rival.

The bombardment stopped and the land was given a brief respite. They stared at each other with different emotions.

From a small distance, Takayama wiped the sweat off from his chin with the back of his hand which was already unbearably hot, even that simple act made a small stinging pain."Who said Level 0's were weak, huh?! I am sure that guy wanted to convey the exact same thing to me. Yeah, Level 0's are below the esper hierarchy, but they're not weak!" He spat out his words one after another as he slowly took a small step. "I foolishly believed that a Level 0 doesn't have anything like strength or power. That was the problem all along. I had failed to believe that even I had something like strength back then. If only I did, they wouldn't have to suffer because of me. That's why I will believe in myself from now on." His small step suddenly turned into a stride. "This time, I will be the one to challenge you." And then that stride turned into a sprint. "So quit underestimating us, damn esper!"

And then something small, about the size of a baseball, but quite visible appeared and soared through the space between them. It was one of the numerous rocks from the riverbed. Based from its trajectory, it was going to land on the space about a meter in front of her. That space was nothing but a pile of soft sand thanks to the erosion effect she had done using her power.

_It's coming._ She tightened her focus again and put up her stance right after she saw that rock he had threw. His plan was finally beginning, she thought. But she had already anticipated it.

Once the sand was struck by that rock, it made a big explosion right in front of the girl. Because of the gentle breeze, the wall of fine bits of sand grew higher than it would usually and disrupted the girl's vision.

She could see nothing but sand and dust, but she had already expected this. She knew that he will create a diversion for her, and she already knew that he will follow up with a blow coming from behind that diversion. This diversion was the wall of sand, and he will charge ahead from the back with a blow in place. His tactics was so easy to read, she thought. Despite the sand blocking her view, she already moved her position slightly to her right in order to not get caught in that wall and that boy's attack that will soon follow and prepared to counter.

Just as she had predicted, Takayama Akito appeared from the sand and aimed his fist towards her, but she was already in a position that was away from his aim. Just as predicted, she thought. She was already two steps ahead of him and was aiming her kick towards his gut. There really was no way the Level 0 could turn things around.

The kick that would end this one-sided battle landed on Takayama's gut before he could react. His eyes widened and a deep confusion covered his face. The girl saw this, which meant she had read him right. Air was knocked out of him, and the strong force of the kick sent him flying towards the ground.

It was finally over. Their duel ended without even an exchange of blows.

She glanced at his fallen body briefly as everything went silent. Despite winning, she felt empty. Her expectations had been misplaced completely, but she didn't blame the boy. She had likely been too much of a strong opponent for him so it was expected. A Level 4 couldn't possibly be beaten in a straight fight against a Level 0. Perhaps in the future, he will grow strong as well but not today. As for her earlier reason she had stated for this fight, she concluded that he will never go to that unpleasant side of things again, whether or not he had actually been the leader of the Black Wolves and not when there was Athena and the rest with him, his determination in this fight proved that. She will accept this boy nonetheless despite not following in the footsteps of the mental image she had sculpted.

But just as she had nodded to herself and moved on from her position to help the boy up, a strange phenomenon occurred.

"Huh?"

Suddenly her vision had gone pitch black. She hadn't closed her eyes and she was sure she hadn't gone unconscious or anything. It's as if all the lights went out, like the moon had decided to leave his job for once and get some sleep and the lights coming from the numerous sources in Academy City decided to follow suit.

"What?! What's happening?!"

She was taken by surprise by the strange occurrence and couldn't see where she was going. She flung her arms around in total darkness to feel anything that could give some sort of guidance. But there was another thing she had to worry about.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!"

She placed her hands in front of her face and felt a hot barrier wrapping around her like a hot towel. It took her a while to realize that what was blocking her vision was actually a soft cloth that stretched far enough to cover her entire torso, the boy's white hoodie. She thought back on how such a thing was now covering her head. She wondered what could possibly be the cause for all this.

The moment she raised the cloth above her face, she immediately saw the boy, so close that it felt like their faces would collide. Takayama gritted his teeth and pushed forward, breaking past the limits of his body.

She had read him wrong. That sand wall was merely just the shallow part of his plan. It only served to distract her from seeing him tossing the hoodie into the sky to fall above her later after she had countered him. That last diversion was enough for him to recover from the impact he had received and to launch another surprise attack. She was two steps ahead of him, but he had advanced one step further. He believed that he will be countered, in fact, he had counted on it, and she played a part on his plan's success. She was wrong, her mental image of him was wrong all along. Takayama had indeed been strong. It was this boy in front of her that she should have been chasing all along. The lies she spouted about him being her rival and the claims she had subconsciously created were made into reality.

He smashed that mental image into pieces.

The Level 0's fist roared into the night of Academy City.

Her eyes closed instinctively, and she heard the gust of wind that followed the boy's strike. It was the boy's victory.

"….."

"Huh…?"

A few minutes passed without anything happening. She just stood there expecting for the blow, but there was nothing.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not some kind of gentleman or anything, I just don't like the idea of hitting a girl," he said while his fist was just an inch away from the side of her cheek. "As much of a trash I am, it's just not in my nature to do it. So let's just call it a tie and go— Ghbjgh?!"

A dull sound rang out, and the boy fell to the ground again.

With her face like a red apple, Tatemiya Haruka's stiff hands quivered at her sides. "Y-Y-Youuu! WHO SAID YOU CAN JUST PULL YOUR PUNCH LIKE THAT?!"

"H-hey! Let's stay calm now! No need to do anything rash, alright?" The boy had gotten up from the ground and was waving his hands down while talking to her sensibly or else the Tatemiya bomb will explode.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"

"Waaaahhhhh! Stay away from me, you walking microwave! I feel like my eyeballs are already melting!" The boy frantically ran for his life, away from the battlefield with that girl hot on his trail.

* * *

_**The_Game_Board**_

It was dimly lit room with a single window open, inviting the light of the moon towards a tabletop. A single girl occupied this room. Her age was a mystery and her appearance was simply not something that could be considered part of Academy City. Her name was Morgan, a magician from the Church of England's Necessarius. "That's right, Archbishop. Stiyl and I made contact with the boy." Her eyes faced a small crystal gem within a wooden box while speaking to someone, but that someone was not in the room nor was it anywhere near her. That contraption she was talking to was likely a spiritual item used for communications. "I will mostly be in charge of him from now on. Do you have any other questions?"

A womanly voice spoke from the gem. "Where are the grimoires being held now?"

"It's being kept with me. I have not received any signal or message about it from the person in charge so I will take charge of it as well." Morgan's face remained calm all throughout their conversation.

"And what do you think is the reason behind these string of events lately?"

The girl took a minute to recall said events based on the reports and the accounts she had heard and then from her own theories. In truth, this matter was simply just a bothersome sidequest for her. As any magician out there, she had a goal. Everything was solely based on that goal. It dictated what kind of life she should live while striving to achieve it. Her magic name had been carved based on that. And that had drove her to join Necessarius. So while doing the jobs she was told, she would do what it was that she really desired to achieve her goal. She must have been slightly annoyed to be sent out here in Academy City, especially when there was trouble brewing in Europe. Actually, she wanted to take part in that trouble, although she was unsure if it was good idea. "I'm still not sure, but, I think whoever is doing this was simply testing something."

"Testing?"

"Yes, but it is not that boy." Her eyes remained glued on the spiritual item. Her tone was lacking in consideration to the one she was speaking about. "I think the real center of these events is our side, and that boy was merely a pawn for him to play with. To begin with, it doesn't matter whether that boy was special or not, his only objective was to see firsthand what our side could do here in this place. It is rare for the normal people of the Science Side to be conscious of us."

"I see. It's possible that a different kind of war will spark there when we already have something going on out here on our side. It's so busy these days. I hope Stiyl will come back soon so I can tease him more. Anyway, please continue with what you are doing in the meantime."

"Yes, I will still continue my investigation, and I will contact you immediately if I find out anything else." She had ended the conversation abruptly and closed the spiritual item. A conflict was brewing, she felt as she turned her head to look at the Academy City's scenery. Surprisingly, a lot of magicians have been infiltrating Academy City without much effort. This city of science of was so defenseless despite that certain man having free reign here. It was possible that he merely saw each and every invader as a fly. But Morgan was aware that he had the right to do so. A monster like him could only look upon them as small nuisances. As an outsider, Morgan did not have a complete picture of what goes on in this city. But what especially piqued her interest were the Level 5's. If anything, their rank was not based on how powerful they were, but how valuable they were in that monster's plan. It was possible that further down the line, a link was connected with her mission and that plan for all that was happening in Academy City was controlled by that man's power. The Level 5's could hold a crucial role in all of these. She will have to take note of this.

She mulled over what she had to do in order to find out who the culprit was behind this strange occurrences. That's when she decided to use this boy as her own pawn. She will play a game of tug-of-war with whoever was doing all this. The footprints he had left was too small, only that contact with that magic cabal could serve as a lead. That's why she will take possession of that boy and do something unexpected that the culprit will be forced to make a move.

The Roman Catholic Church, God's Right Seat, Necessarius and the Magic Side. All of these were powers that the boy had no idea of, but she on the other hand knew all of them quite well. But that's not all she was aware of.

"That impending clash is still very distant," she spoke to no one. Her eyes transfixed on the moon and the stars. "But there's no doubting the fact that it will happen. And as soon as it does, I will use my own pawn and play a game. I will use that giant battle to bring an end to whoever it is doing this so that I can finally reach my goal. Nobody is going to stop me from reaching my own conclusion."

* * *

**END AN:**

**Since I have already written everything I had to at the very top, I really have nothing to add anymore Hahaha...**

**Anyway, please take note that this arc is still mostly Science Side and will most likely be a multi-conflict one just like my first arc(AHH! I don't really know if I should say that but whatever!).**

**Now thank you for reading and don't forget to leave a review and some feedback!**


	23. Mental Contradiction: Remember

**Alright! I'm back~ Pheww... this month was busier than expected. But at least I've got this chapter done, and the next chapter already has a few words written in so that's progress hahaha... **

**This may have taken a bit longer because I'm not good with slice-of-life stuff, but I do want to write peaceful scenes like the ones in Railgun so I want to try and learn. Well anyway, this chapter is filled with a completely different cast and will serve as the step to introducing this certain girl that I will plan to focus on.**

**So without further ado, please read and leave some feedback!**

* * *

**Chapter 23 - Mental_Contradiction: Remember**

* * *

_**Entry: A_Certain_Boy**_

Kamjiou Touma woke up one cold night. He was shivering in his T-shirt as he lay flat on the cold, hard surface of a bathtub. His head hurt. On second thought, it was not only his head but various parts of his body. Spending the entire night sleeping in a cramped bathtub was not a comfortable experince, he admitted. He remembered how all this started, or rather, what he understood from the facts he constructed from other people's statements, meaning he himself had no memory how the beginning played out. But, somehow, it was all connected to the person who was now in possession of his bed, Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Right now, that silver-haired nun must be in dreamland, he surmised as he bumped his head again and groaned silently. "Where's my pillow?" He stretched his hand lazily and felt around the bathtub for that elusive pillow that should have been there cushioning his head.

The pillow must have fell out of the tub so he felt around with his hand. But when that hand clumsily moved above his head, his misfortune made a surprise attack. The shower nob was turned accidentally, and cold water rained down on him.

"Such misfortune!" He cried out as his soaked head appeared from the tub. The surprise shower stopped as he twisted the nob again and got out. There was no way he'd be able to sleep now.

Index was still sleeping soundly in his bed when he appeared from the bathroom so he was careful not to make any noise while he walked towards the closet for a towel to dry himself up.

This time around though, the fierce warrior of many misfortunes, Kamijou Touma-san was ready! He had faced a bunch of accidents in the past so he was already accustomed to them. And after accumulating a hundred experience points, he had reached a solution. If that right hand he possessed could negate luck and blessings, then surely by putting it away will prevent that from happening. But he didn't need to cut it off from his arm, nope; he was still sane after all. He just needed it to avoid it from touching the luck that always failed to reach him. After thinking that, he tucked his hand away in his shorts and made a triumphant grin.

The dark room was quiet as he trudged along unsteadily with his right hand forbidden from touching anything.

His plan must have been working because he had avoided stepping on spoiled soba bread wrapped in plastic and a CD which could have broken easily with a small crack sound that could very well be the signal for his despair. Index was a light sleeper if he recalled correctly so even the tiniest sound could wake her. He didn't want to be caught walking in the middle of the night and be mistaken for a peeping tom now did he?

"Hahaha! It's really working. Why didn't I think of this before?" He smiled to himself as he shivered from the cold air. His eyes shifted left and right, looking for obstacles in the dark room, while that young nun breathed deeply in her white dress shirt which reached above her thighs. _Wait, this isn't the time for that! _He looked away and finally crouched down in front of the drawers. He took out his right hand from his pocket and looked for a towel. He found one and rubbed it around his head, but something felt wrong. "Huh?" He put the soft towel in front of his face and moved it close to the moonlight shining through the window to his right.

And there it was Index's soft panties after being used to dry his own head.

"WAAAAHHHHHH!" His loud voice echoed throughout the room and awakened the fearsome nun.

"Tooouuummmaaaaaaa…" Not a minute had passed and Index's sharp teeth were already gnawing against one another as she sat at the edge of his old bed under the moonlight. The dress shirt, which looked like it was too big for her, had one of its sleeves drooping down and exposing the skin of the young nun's thin shoulder.

But the criminal Kamijou had his attention elsewhere. For a moment, his eyes swung back and forth from his hands holding a pair of panties and to the nun's sharp, white teeth. Hearing the nun's angry grumble made the hairs on his back stand on ends.

"What do you think you're doing?" Index said with narrowed eyes.

An audible gulp could be heard from Kamijou's mouth before he replied, "W-wait a minute, this isn't what it looks like! I was just trying to dry myself up!"

"And so you decided to use that?"

For that, Kamijou did not have a reply, and Index won't give him the time to do so as a loud snap of teeth meeting flesh echoed through the dorm.

"SUUUUUCH MISFORTUNE!"

His hidden right hand plan backfired, and the nun's teeth or rather, fangs dug deep into his skin.

Kamijou Touma's bad luck was on full throttle just as usual. Just yesterday he bumped into Misaka Mikoto again. They were bumping into each other a lot these past few days. He saw a Misaka clone inside a family restaurant in the background as well, which reminded him of an urban legend called "Love Master", which also reminded him of that standoff with that girl who he had thought was kidnapping a certain boy. He looked around the area and saw the hospital, so he casually asked Tokiwadai's Ace about her take on that rumor, but he was replied with her electric attacks for some reason.

And even after that, during an ordinary night, Index suggested they go hunting for the ghost which was rumored to have recently been sighted in their dorm. Kamijou, who had an exam with the dreaded Columbus Egg of his small homeroom teacher, Tsukuyomi Komoe, wanted to sleep but was forced into doing so anyway. Misfortune struck him not too long after as he fell down the stairs and found himself on top of the maid-in-training, Tsuchimikado Maika. She was unhurt, but the same could not be said for him. The Sis-con Seargent, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, towered over him with veins popping out of his clenched fists. Kamijou was covered in bruises that night, and they didn't find the ghost.

He took his bag as he closed the door behind him, now wearing his dry high school uniform, but not without getting one last look at the inside of the room. As usual, Index was watching TV, and the calico cat was playing with a ball. He waved goodbye to them and said that he'll be going, and Index waved back and asked what they will have for lunch to which he just replied that he would think of something.

He could already feel the pleasant morning greeting him with a big shout as he began walking towards the direction of his school through the chirping sounds coming from the birds nesting on top of a tree at the nearby park, which reminded him to be careful of bird droppings, and the casual breeze brushing his face where the teeth marks he had from the angry nun last night had disappeared. The students of Academy City shared these pleasantries as they walked along with him on this pedestrian street towards their own respective schools.

Looking up he saw a large blimp passing overhead, reminding him that the weather was quite inaccurately forecasted these days. Unlike before he had lost his memories, he heard that Academy City was able to predict the weather down to the last second. If the forecast said it would rain at 10 am, then it would rain the same instant 9:59 turned 10:00. He would definitely like to see that first hand, but unfortunately it wasn't happening because the source of the calculations for predicting the weather came from the supercomputer stored in the satellite called the Tree Diagram, which had been destroyed due to an unknown phenomena.

The day had only just begun, but he was already sighing like an adult experiencing a midlife crisis. Even his face lacked the energy of a typical boy of his age, unlike the ones who he will be meeting right after he opened the classroom door in front.

At this point, the spiky-haired boy found himself lying on the floor with a throbbing pain covering his nose and the back of his head. His vision was blocked by a wall of blue hair. Odd, he could not recall there anything like a jack-in-the-box mechanism in his classroom's door.

"Oh? What is this soft cushion that broke my fall?" A familiar voice reached Kamijou's ears from the head in possession of the blue hair, without the slightest hint of concern for Kamijou's own squished body.

"Aogamiiiiii, you bastard! Who said you can leave?! Oh? What are you doing there, Kami-yan? Did the thought of masochism intrigued you that you wanted to try out the life of a living man-servant chair?"

"Huh? It is Kami-yan! My bad, my bad." The boy named Aogami Pierce lifted himself up from the spiky-haired boy's body while still letting out that goofy smile. His tan-colored shirt was wrapped by a navy blue high school uniform. This boy was definitely a member of the notorious Delta Force.

Another member of the three person group stood by the doorway wearing a suspicious pair of sunglasses and a green Hawaiian shirt under his high school uniform, Tsuchimikado Motoharu,

And finally completing that group, Kamijou Touma stood up from his dusty state on the floor. "Why are you guys causing such a ruckus so early in the morning? Are your bodies composed of energy drinks or something that you're hyperactive all day long?" The sight of the two made him sigh.

Sergeant Tsuchimikado was the first to reply, "Aogami here said something unbelievable, Kami-yan."

"What do you mean unbelievable?! Robot maids are all the rage nowadays!" Aogami replied instantly he heard the mockery on his newfound fetish. "They're far better than regular maids and you know it! Am I right Kami-yan?!"

Kamijou did not know exactly how to react to that, but he moved his mouth to speak nonetheless. "You guys are being silly." He shook his head and let out a condescending smile. "Everyone knows that—"

"Who is being silly?"

Before Kamijou could finish, an imposing girl with a huge bust appeared from the classroom directly behind Tsuchimikado.

"So it's Kamijou Touma who was causing the ruckus again. I should have known." The stern-looking Fukiyose Seiri spoke up in an angry tone with her arms folded below those giant mountains that even Kamijou could say with certainty was the biggest he had ever seen. But then, Kamijou had seen a lot of things, and if he included those women he met outside Academy City in "The Bust Scale", Fukiyose Seiri would be competing for first place. "Where are you looking at, Kamijou Touma?!" The possible winner of "The Bust Scale", Fukiyose had leaned forward to catch Kamijou's wandering glance, and as expected, those mountains shook as though they were part of the great landmass of Pangea which had started to move apart to form the current positioning of the continents.

"Nyaa~" Tsuchimikado cut right in and turned to face the girl with long black hair. "You can't blame Kami-yan for being a healthy boy."

In the middle of Kamijou and Tsuchimikado, Aogami had a realization, "Fukiyose would definitely pull of being a maid. Don't you think she would look good serving tea while dressed in a frilly maid uniform and calling people 'Master'?"

Tsuchimikado gave it a serious analysis, "Hmm…. I agree. And her seriousness would definitely be a plus. So how is it Fukiyose? Want me to introduce you to my sister's school?"

In the middle of all that, the girl in question was already preparing a reply. "Like hell I will!"

"Ughh?!"

The girl's monstrous headbutt smashed into the smiling Tsuchimikado's forehead and sent him falling backwards, taking Aogami and Kamijou with him. Kamijou did not participate in that exchange so he wondered why even he was knocked away!

The trio was sent crashing down due to a chain reaction and landed on the opposite wall decorated with an array of rectangular windows showing the pleasant blue sky.

"Wa-wah what are you all doing?!" By then, their tiny homeroom teacher appeared in the hallway and was letting out faint voices of attempt to stop them, but they were in vain.

Eventually, homeroom began, and Kamijou took his seat along with his classmates. He wanted to pay attention to class, but his eyes unconsciously drifted to the window beside him and up into the clouds as the cute teacher began her lecture.

"Oh~ isn't that the famous heiress' blimp?" Aogami asked near Kamijou's seat when homeroom ended and their classmates were having their free time, after catching the spiky-haired boy looking up towards the direction of a long, oval-shaped blimp the color of pale green floating in the sky. Both of them could see the flashy monitor the size of two giant billboards attached to the side showing some kind of advertisement.

Still sitting, he looked towards Aogami and back to the blimp with a question of his own, "Famous heiress?" His head tilted in his confusion.

From the back, Tsuchimikado approached. "You know, that super rich girl who sponsored one of the events at Daihaseisai by herself."

At first, he couldn't believe the words appearing in the conversation. So he tried to verify some facts. "This girl sponsored the entire event on her own?!"

"Yep, she sponsored the—what do you call it? Ultimate esper arena…?" Aogami replied.

"That one bloody bath of an event which sent a Level 0 participant to the hospital," Tsuchimikado added.

Kamijou got a chill after hearing that. It sounded like one of those gladiator tournaments in ancient Greece where warriors fight each other to the death, and sometimes with lions as well. No way would he participate in something stretching common reason such as that.

"Oh, did I forget to mention she is attending a middle school for the rich? Her family has a taste for competitions and tournaments so they own several entertainment companies related to sports."

"Ehh?!" That would mean she was the head of the entire event. Are young rich girls really frivolous and unconcerned for the world's fragile economy that they toy around hardworking salarymen's troubles? Kamijou asked himself. Of course, he knew nothing about economy, but it was still a frightening thought that some middle school girl could be a figure head of a large sports event.

Tsuchimikado smiled without any care. "I hear she is hosting another one but is having a tough time with Academy City's board of directors. I guess money is not enough to pursue one's goal."

Kamijou did not have any money or a goal so it was hard for him to relate. Although he was involved in a lot of the turmoil related to the world of magic, and its conflict towards science, that only a few in Academy City knew of, he was still nonetheless just a normal boy who fought in the middle of bargain sales against old ladies just to secure meals both for him, the starving nun, and the calico cat.

School proceeded without many irregularities, although Aogami's reckless behaviour of interrupting class with a loud outburst about the girl's track team wearing jogging pants instead of bloomers at the field outside had gotten Komoe-sensei's attention and saved Kamijou from her furious counselling due to his poor performance in the Columbus Egg.

He didn't want to recall how he remained staring at that egg for several minutes without anything happening. It looked like he was going to crush the egg rather than make it stand up from the intense staring he was doing. He also didn't want to recall the look of despair the teacher gave, like she had already given up all hope, while she watched Kamijou's pointless efforts from the side.

He threw all that away in the corners of his mind as he picked up his bag from the side of his desk and stood up to leave the classroom before he gets called into the teacher's lounge for some last minute lectures.

But just as he opened his eyes from the short sighing he made, the ever serious-looking Fukiyose Seiri stood in front with an obvious look that was telling him that she was to involve him into some menial task. The setting sun's rays of light emphasized the black hair covering her forehead, which reminded Kamijou of a certain senpai he often passes by in the halls.

"Just where do you think you're going, Kamijou Touma?" asked Fukiyose in a commanding voice. "Have you forgotten that we have to return the teacher's stuff to the science lab?" She held up her thumb and pointed it back towards the box and stack of papers sitting on the teacher's desk at the front of the classroom.

"Fukiyose," Kamijou stated with an equally commanding voice. "If one starves, then he will definitely die, right?"

"Hah?"

Ignoring that annoyed last remark, Kamijou continued to speak up with increasing energy, "Starvation is a cruel thing. Without food in our stomachs, our bodies lose energy, and we die. Don't you think that's sad?"

"Kamijou, what are you going on about?"

"So Fukiyose…" Kamijou dropped his gaze and looked disheartened. "Won't you help someone from starving in their dorms and let me go?"

"I don't know who you are talking about, but if you don't help me, starvation will be the least of your worries. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes ma'am…"

After surrendering to the girl's demand, Kamijou lifted the cardboard box filled with test tubes, microscopes and rulers, as Fukiyose took the stack of papers and led the way to their destination.

The boy looked around the peaceful hall as he followed the fluttering of the girl's long dark blue skirt. The lack of students reminded him that the bell already rung long before they left the classroom. And because of that, their steps echoed loudly throughtout the open space.

"You have not been acting like yourself today Kamijou. What's wrong?" Fukiyose did not turn her head when she asked that to the boy behind her. One would think that she was actually showing consideration to the spiky-haired boy, but the tone she had was just mere boredom, as expected of the Iron Wall Girl.

While he watched her swaying black hair, and then realizing it himself when she gave him a sidelong, icy glare, Kamijou replied with a faint smile, "Really? I think I've always been like this?" Suddenly, Kamijou felt like he was struck by an uneasy feeling from the inside by his own words. It felt like he was lying, but at the same time, he couldn't say for sure.

"You're acting kind of weird, Kamijou Touma. Well whatever, you were always a weird one."

Kamijou listened to her intently. The memories Fukiyose Seiri had stretched farther than the current Kamijou Touma's time on this earth, so he listened to her describing things he should have known, and things the past Kamijou Touma knew.

"Remember the time when you accidentally threw a ball and smashed the window belonging to the third year's classroom at the second floor?"

"W-wah? Did something like that happen?"

"Don't tell me you don't remember. You were trying to learn how to throw a curve ball, but you stumbled during your wind-up and let the ball go midway. The teacher got really mad and forced you to do thirty laps around the field."

Kamijou kept quiet the whole time as they gently walked along the school, until finally they reached their destination.

By this time, the months have already passed him by without as much as a break. Kamijou made a look that was almost empty as he read through every page of the book that was his memories, though quite small, only to find that things usually involved him running around and trying to resolve conflicts. Having lost his memories, he couldn't do anything but to press on while pretending nothing was wrong, and involving himself with the side of magic was not helping him in catching his own breath. After all he couldn't come up with what to do with his lost memories, but then again, what else could he do? That frog-faced doctor said that his brain had been completely wiped of his memories, and there was no hope of recovering them, nothing.

As he walked through the months without memory, he had done a great job of pretending to be the past Kamijou Touma, and while he did so, he wondered what the past him was like or what sort of things he knew. Perhaps he knew a girl, and although unlikely, a girlfriend. Kamijou almost laughed when he thought that. Perhaps he also knew something he about that right hand. If only there was a way to regain his memories back he wouldn't have to pretend anymore and worry that anyone would find out, especially Index.

"That should do it," Fukiyose said after placing down the papers unto a desk inside the dusty room.

"Pheww," Kamijou rubbed wiped his forehead off the sweat from carrying the box.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The girl turned towards him and folded her arms under her chest. "Don't look at me like that. Aren't you going to do something about that starving person you mentioned?"

For a moment, Kamijou couldn't help but smile at the Iron Wall Girl's consideration. "I was just lying about that part. That person is probably not hungry yet, and maybe there isn't even a person. I just wanted to leave as soon as possible so I can buy some food."

"I know you were lying. You thought you could fool me?" Fukiyose sighed. "Kamijou, it's okay to lie once in a while as long as it's not harmful. "

"Still though, I feel bad for lying to you." Kamijou felt genuinely sorry, although only for that other lie he had made. His eyes turned away from the girl and looked through the window where some of the track and field members were still practicing.

"Then just make that lie into a reality, Kamijou Touma." Fukiyose Seiri turned around and walked forwards to the door. "If you don't want to go on ahead, then I will. Later."

* * *

_**Entry: A_Certain_Queen.**_

After finishing up back at the school, the spiky-haired boy found some time to do some last minute shopping. Now he was standing in the middle of a busy street with the array of streetlights glowing brighter around the preoccupied pedestrians.

He turned to his left and casually walked along the street while humming some tune he remembered from just recently.

And now he was already feeling his misfortune catching onto him.

_Not good! Not good! Why is she here?!_ After taking a small step in front of an arcade, he saw the flutter of a skirt belonging to one of Tokiwadai Middle School, and taking a closer look above the winter uniform that was colored like pale flesh, was the short, whimsical brown hair of someone he knew. In this situation the only thing that came up in Kamijou Touma's mind was a swift and fast retreat, or else, he will be dragged into a senseless battle with an empty stomach and with that nun waiting for the dinner that may never come.

The plastic bag carrying ingredients he bought rustled wildly, but not enough to be heard by that certain girl, as he braced the wall of the arcade next to the door where he could see this girl playing with a punching simulator. Overreaction was not totally far off from his actions, but that never crossed his mind. Indeed they were bumping into each other more frequently these days, and Kamijou was already thinking that this was more than just coincidence.

But that didn't stop him from accomplishing his mission so he backed away very slowly from the scene. And as he walked like a crab along the wall to the opposite direction and into a nearby alley, he heard the soft wind blowing upwards which made him look up for a moment. His gaze pierced through the darkness of the filthy alley and into the bright sky that was already a shade of flaring orange.

But something immediately caught his attention, and it was a figure standing above a roof along its edge. Though standing wasn't exactly the right word. It was more like walking backwards, moving dangerously close beyond the edge.

Kamijou felt his heart drop for a moment as his eyes remained glued to what he could see from the ground. No matter how he looked at it, it was definitely someone who was going to fall off a building, an apartment probably and around six floors at that, but as he thought that, he was already pushing a metal dumpster locked with a heavy chain away from the spot where he suspected that person will land in. His groceries and school bag lay on the ground behind him.

"Need to get this out of the away so I can catch him!" His shoulder pressed on the metal as he pushed with all his strength. His sneakers made their mark on the ground and dug tiny hole, but they couldn't advance no matter how hard he tried. It must have weighed more than a ton, so the physical strength of a normal high school boy was not enough.

He looked up once more and saw that one foot had already been misplaced and was going to land on nothing but air instead of the roof, but the person was not aware of it and was just looking in the opposite direction for some reason.

"Damn it!" The boy gave up on his plan and got on top of the metallic bin.

It let out an ominous creak as he stepped towards the center. Its jagged edges and rusty spots made him uneasy. From the way it didn't collapse when he stood up, it looked like it could still handle his weight. Now he hoped it could support more than his weight as he spread out his arms.

A faint sound could be heard from above, but he couldn't make out what it was. After that sound, his entire vision of the blue and orange sky became blocked with the figure of a falling human being.

In the next instant, Kamijou felt a dulling pain in his arms as a large chunk of meat slammed down on them with a full weight of a human girl. His knee collapsed from the painful shock and gave way so now he was sitting with the other knee still bent and almost strained. It took less than a few minutes to resist the pain, but for Kamijou Touma, it felt like a century.

The top of the dumpster dented with a huge angle that his body was already sunk in.

When everything subsided, he opened his eyes to look down. There he saw an unconscious girl with bobbed hair and a high school uniform which looked unfamiliar to him. He sighed in relief as he saw the girl's steady breath, and fixed up his sitting position while grimacing from the pain in his legs.

He moved his gaze up towards the edge of the roof from the building across him. Though small, he could see a tiny dark shadow moving away from peering down on him. "What is that?"

"Hm... ?" A faint moan followed by a low mumbling escaped the lips of the tiny girl. When Kamijou looked at her, her eyelids were slowly opening, showing her brown eyes that looked like they were being marked by a glistening star, though Kamijou felt like he was just imagining that. "Oh? This body possesses greater resilience ability than I thought. I thought I was a goner from that height." Her starry eyes moved around slowly and met with the spiky-haired boy's own. "It's you again. Do you have some kind of inborn sense for detecting women in trouble and saving them or something? Your timing is a little too convenient to be a fluke." She shifted within the boy's arms to straighten herself up.

"H-hey, wait! You just took a nasty fall there. You're in no shape to walk around. Just wait right here and I'll call an ambulance. What's your name? Can I call your dorm to let them know?" The boy spoke rapidly as he nervously took his phone out from his pocket, but the girl looked annoyed and abruptly got out of dumpster anyway.

"That won't be necessary as you can see." She brushed the dust away from her pleated skirt and hummed in a nonchalant manner. "Geez... Why am I getting wrapped up in all these nonsense? A lady needs to be treated with better care than this."

"A-are you sure you're okay?" Kamijou got out as well and stood a fair distance from her.

"Is your listening ability dull? I said I'm fine. And about my name…"

A sudden silence fell over the darkness they stood in. But still a streetlight gave some clarity to their surroundings, though whatever kind of expression that unknown girl was making was a complete enigma for the boy. Those starry eyes were hidden by long, dark bangs.

"You will forget about it anyways…"

"That's not true!" Kamijou shouted. It must have been that single word that triggered it. "I will never forget ever again. I will definitely remember, even if it's during this small encounter. The way you spoke, it feels like we've known each other before, though it's just a feeling. But still, I won't forget. Memories are a precious thing after all."

After taking in every word, the girl listened to a short silence for a while before turning to face him. "Oh, my… This is only just a small encounter so why are you making it such a big deal." The streetlight illuminated her back as she walked closer to him. "This encounter is nothing but just a random incident, but still memories are what makes us who we are. They are the record book for everything about us, good and bad. Even something small like sharing an ice cream cone with a certain girl could be something significant. After all, there's nobody else who knows memories better than me. So indeed you are right, memories are a precious thing." A vibrant smile appeared from her lips, a truly girly smile that possessed such innocence which not even the boy could think was real.

Kamijou noticed the unknown girl reaching out to his right hand with her delicate fingers that were like a mannequin's.

"But sadly, even if I introduce myself now, I won't be introducing myself in person. If I knew we would meet each other, I would come meet you face to face even though it's unlikely our paths will truly cross." She placed that boy's mysterious hand an inch away from her forehead. "Well, this was just a small and random encounter after all so there's no need to take this any further. Please take care of this body while I'm gone, okay~?" She happily smiled and placed that right hand on her head with a sudden motion. But the hand stopped only an inch away when the girl hesitantly continued. "Oh, by the way, it's Shokuhou Misaki. I owe you at least that much for what you have done."

Then the sound of the wind followed the gentle sound of flowing hair and the awakening of the sleeping beauty somewhere.

...

**From Takayama Akito's esper research notes:**

Name: Mochizuki Yoshiya

Age: 16

Ability: Psychometry (probably)/ Level 0

Description: Taught me a lot about Academy City and stuff. He's really lazy and can be found sleeping and cloud gazing on the roof often, but he can be dependable sometimes. If I remember correctly, he plays an instrument, but I can't remember what. I guess he's quick to gather information and such? More importantly, he's a pedophile. Still though, I couldn't believe he was able to achieve his Psychometry while I was laying on the couch inside the pub. That lazy bastard, seriously...

I'm not sure where he is or if he's even alive at this point. Everything back at that night was such a blur. That janitor who found me said I was all alone when he found me, not a trace of anyone else. But still, I wish I had listened to him back then about enjoying life….

Favorite Food: Pizza, Cheese omelette.

...

Name: Katagiri Rina

Age: ?

Ability: None/Level 0

Description: We've only known each other for a short while, but I'm definitely sure she's a good person, unlike Enma or me. Also, she has middle school syndrome. You know, those who call out the dark power or whatever, or claim that they have a third-eye, or was a hero from another dimension, though I don't hang out with those kinds of people during middle school.

Much like Joshua, she is currently missing or dead. I don't know which school she goes to so there's no way to find information on her or even her sister. I tried Judgment but they were reluctant for some reason.

Favorite Food: Strawberry Sundae.

...

Name: Enma

Age: ?

Ability: Strength-enhancement (much like that Offense Armor ability) /Level 0

Description: Disgusting scumbag, though I'm not one to talk. Hates espers more than Katagiri and I put together; well he was the one who gathered us together and created this group. He's a complete mystery. During our time in the back alleys, he was the one to collect information on our targets.

I don't know how the others survived Enma's rampage, but I can only think that Joshua escaped somehow and led him away with Anti-Skill arriving at the scene and putting a stop to him while they were still hunting us.

Favorite Food: ?

...

Name: Tetsu Mikoshiba

Age: 18

Ability: None/Level 0

Description: He was a former star judoka in school who got injured and was eventually depressed by his failure to reach the championships. His physical strength is unbelievable. I think he can even fight toe-to-toe with a bear or pull a truck. He has a certain dislike for espers competing in sports, most likely due to the one winning the championships was an esper. He was generally a nice guy once you get to know him.

He's now serving time in the Reformatory, I think, along with the other members of REBEL who survived that clash with that unknown esper.

Favorite Food: Gyuudon, Yakisoba.

...

Name: Kurozawa Shin

Age: 18

Ability None/Level 0

Description: If Mikoshiba has strength, then Shin has speed. He can move so fast that I wonder if it was related to his esper power. From what I heard, he easily took down that girl in hand-to-hand inside the underground parking lot. He's difficult to read that guy, always smirking without a care in the world.

His current whereabouts are unknown, and his duties to the dark side of Academy City still continues. I have a feeling we'll meet each other again at some point.

Favorite Food: Tuna sandwich.

* * *

**END AN:**

**Hello! Hello! It's been a while. How are you all doing?**

**Lately, I've been thinking about why there hasn't been an announcement of a new anime yet. Seriously, I want Railgun S3 or Index S3! Even an anime adaptation of the Accelerator manga will suffice! Which brings me to the Accelerator manga. I like the idea of Accelerator as the main protagonist and how it has some magic in it, though there's hardly anybody that could beat him in the manga unless its not related to science and if his battery runs out. I dunno, I'm getting the urge to write something along those lines. Welp, I'll just throw it in the pile and hopefully I'll pick it up at some point and get it started.**

**Anyways, hopefully I can find some more time for the next chapter and get it done sooner.**

**Thanks for reading and hoped you enjoyed. Oh, and please some leave some reviews if you don't mind.**

**I will end this chapter here for now and leave the rest for next time.**


	24. Mental Contradiction: Queen

**Alright! Time to begin this thing for real!**

**Please enjoy and don't forget to leave some feedback afterwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 24 - Mental_Contradiction: Queen**

* * *

**_Brooding_Night_**

"That was quite an unexpected turn…" An unpleasant sweat ran down Shokuhou Misaki's face.

Her unsettled face looked like she had just woken up from a nightmare, but there was no one to notice inside the small family restaurant, not even the waitress who passed her in her comfortable seat by the window.

Realizing this, she wiped her forehead with her delicate hand gloved in white silk and adorned with small laces. Still, her heart was racing so rapidly it felt like she had just ran a marathon.

She should have fallen from that building, even though it was not her real body, her consciousness would have felt that crushing impact if she had landed on the cold ground.

However...

"Ahh…. Our paths shouldn't cross anymore…" A tiny, bitter smile appeared as she looked down on her remote sitting on the table, and beside that remote, a small tea cup still exuding a few strands of steam. "Such a strange coincidence, it's almost as if it's an omen, although I would have preferred if we met in a more graceful setting rather than this. Now since he caught that girl from that height, I wonder if he is okay. He has gotten hurt so many times that I wonder if his body strong enough."

But still, he would try to save someone in danger regardless of his own situation. That is what she believed.

That was Kamijou Touma, the one who saved her way back when she was still standing by his side and instead of the Number Three.

But this matter on the other hand was something only she as Academy City's Number Five must see through to the end.

Suddenly, a grimy looking man wearing unfashionable clothes approached Shokuhou. His smug face revealed a missing tooth. "Hello young lady, are you alone by any chance?"

With swift practiced motions, the Number Five Level 5 whirled a grey TV remote around her thumb while her head rested on her other hand. "Hmm~? Is this the cry of cicadas I'm hearing? I thought summer was already over." She ignored him completely. It seemed she was more interested in the tiny smudge on the restaurant's window.

"Y-you bitch! Who the hell do you think you are, huh?!"

"Am I wrong? It's so hard understanding the language ability of lower life forms."

"That's it! I'm dragging you down the back alleys and make sure you regret—"

"Category 012," A small click interrupted the man's useless speech. "The individual must get as far away from here as possible and start preaching about the end of the world for two hours."

After that man mysteriously disappeared from the Level 5's sight, her attention was replaced by tiny footsteps.

"Thanks for waiting, Queen!"

Shokuhou brought her head up as she turned towards the girl rushing in her direction. The tail of that girl's lab coat swayed gently with her vigorous running until she finally stopped in front of the table and took a moment to catch her breath.

She was very skinny and small, almost the same build as another Tokiwadai student, Shirai Kuroko, and wearing that oversized lab coat over her winter uniform made her look even smaller. Her black hair was split into two braids curving slightly at either side of her head. She looked very much like a bookworm or a lab assistant, especially when she was looking at Shokuhou through the round, black frames of her glasses. "Hiya! Excited for our first night as roommates, Queen?"

She looked like a puppy, Shokuhou mused.

"Yes, yes, let's head back already before the dorm supervisor comes searching for us."

"Roger!" The girl raised her arms with an energetic smile. "Time for the Megumi x Queen pair to begin!"

"Please don't say such unnecessary things that could invite a misunderstanding," said Shokuhou coldly without looking her way. Her beautiful blonde hair glowing against the orange light above moved accordingly as she stood up in a graceful manner befitting a lady like her. She hung her small purse around the shoulders of her flesh-colored winter uniform.

"Ahh... Hahahaha... Guess not, huh?" Megumi let out a sheepish smile. "But I really am grateful you accepted me as your partner, Queen. Let's get along from now on alright?"

Shokuhou gave her a sidelong glance, the stars in her eyes half-hidden.

A queen should always compose herself in front of her loyal subjects. Shokuhou may not have heard such a thing in her lifetime, nor did she care, but the Number Five Level 5 of Academy had her own way of doing things.

"Just be sure not to get your scientific ability in my way please."

"Yes, Queen!" Megumi straightened herself up and tried to look as dependable she could. "Though, I must say that I still don't see the reason why your previous roommates would want to change room assignments, Queen. Even if they were not clique members, your charm should still have captivated them. If anything they should have fought for the right to be your roommate."

"There are lots of different people in the world, Megumi. Not everyone understands true beauty."

"Well, if you say so, Queen."

Shokuhou nodded approvingly. She led the way out, away from the warm lights of the restaurant and into the cold streets of District 7. Now then, she had told herself that this minor problem she was facing had to be solved by her powers alone, the powers of Academy City's Mental Out.

"Megumi."

Shokuhou's voice seemed to ring in the still air of the cold night. The other girl turned to her the moment it reached her ear.

"The girl whose body I was borrowing was chased by some group, even though she did nothing in particular."

"That's terrible! I bet they were perverts trying to take advantage of her!"

"No, that's not it. They had a different reason."

Megumi stopped her restlessness and looked puzzled towards her new roommate. "How did you know, Queen? You shouldn't be able to read people's minds from other people's bodies."

Although they've been talking as if Shokuhou Misaki actually possessed other bodies like a ghost, it was simply her dominating other people's minds and overwriting their personalities with hers while maintaining a mental link so she could know what they were doing.

"I don't need to read their minds to get information out of them." Shokuhou gently flicked her shiny honey blonde hair over her shoulder. "Not when they were savagely shouting my name in anger."

"Your name? When you were controlling someone else's body? T-Then that means they knew you were influencing that girl with your ability!"

"That's what I'm concerned about. They were able to determine which person I was using my powers on. At any rate, I would appreciate if you help me look into this using your scientific ability please~"

She held the strongest mental powers in all of Academy City. Her ability did more than just brainwashing or reading minds however. It allowed her full control of the human mind. But Shokuhou Misaki was more than just her ability.

"Oh, and Megumi…" They stopped at a crosswalk in front of a red light when the Level 5 added one last command. "I'm giving you reign over the other clique members to help your analysis if it helps. Let's see… about a hundred of them should suffice."

* * *

_**Ghost**_

What had Takayama thought at that time?

Was it that he almost beat his school's strongest esper?

No, regardless of the conclusion, it all came down to luck. His plan didn't have a 100% chance to succeed, he was just extremely lucky. More importantly, what had he gotten from that battle? The new determination he found? The courage to face himself and his errors?

Not quite exactly. But he did get a skin that was burnt to the point that it smelt like roasted barbecue. Because of that, he had to stand motionless for three hours or else he will sting himself, drink an absurd amount of water, and bathe in cool water to revert his body temperature back to normal.

Watching him do all those troublesome tasks, except for the bath, the curious new dorm resident Athena wanted to know what happened but decided to keep quiet.

Instead, she made a surprising dish while he was away. Takayama's mouth was then permanently filled with the taste of antibiotics and vitamins, but he didn't complain, and the artificial girl didn't seem to notice so everything was peaceful in the Takayama dorm room.

Nevertheless, Takayama's head was filled with thoughts.

"Mmm… shishou…"

As he struggled in his makeshift, and extremely uncomfortable, futon, which consisted of cardboard strapped to the floor with duct tape and dressed in thin bed sheets, the girl's soft voice, which was like that of a beautiful siren's seducing a sailor, reached his ear from across the small table in the dim room. Just hearing that soft mutter made the hairs on his back stand on ends.

_What the hell is she dreaming about?! And why is she always calling out to me?! _Takayama turned to the other side in his makeshift futon. His skin had finally recovered but none of that mattered if he couldn't sleep. Just over at the opposite side of the room sleeping on his bed was a girl in pajamas. Though biological structure aside, she indeed was a girl. Takayama may have considered this thought, but still he wasn't about to resort to anything criminal, not when this girl had put her life in his hands. Such was life in Academy City. You truly never know what sort of interesting thing will happen.

When everything went silent and it seemed that there will be no more soft muttering which could incite a misunderstanding, Takayama finally closed his eyes and fixed his position slightly.

A girl and a boy living under the same roof was truly something that was forbidden. If Tatemiya Haruka found out about this, she will undoubtedly kill him, and that battle won't be a long duel, it will be just plain massacre. He would be unleashing the chains holding her back and release the fiery Tatemiya demon within. So he decided to keep this a secret from everybody, including that annoying class rep. Of course he knew that this sort of arrangement was like welcoming indecent possibilities for himself, but he had no other choice in the matter, he couldn't just leave her homeless so this was the only option.

At this point where they were now living together, he was unsure what he should be calling her, or what she was to him. If anyone were to ask what their relationship was, then he would just quickly brush them off to avoid the subject. He could not come up with a clear answer himself, but the closest would be a sibling relationship. The way he saw it, he was her only family.

_How annoying. Since when the hell did I become such a soft person? Don't forget, Takayama, you were the one who tried to rebel against the espers of Academy City and the system. Don't think for a second that you will be rewarded for playing the role of a hero. Remember, you're nothing. _The boy's disgruntled face, slightly covered by his blonde hair, rested on the shallow pillow. "Tch…"

In any case, that was his answer. There was no need to change the way things were now so he will keep on walking down this path.

When all that was clear, he erased any further thoughts obstructing his sleep and moved his hand under the covers. That was when he touched something unfamiliar yet soft.

"Huh?" He grabbed it and brought it up slowly to his face so he could take a good look. Thankfully, moonlight penetrated the curtains of the room.

That thing, which was now a few inches away from his face, was blue, small and made of cotton. Generally speaking, not every man would be able to see such a thing in his entire lifetime.

It was one of those indecent possibilities.

"UWWAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Takayama jolted up from his position with a face of pure horror. He would have died instantly right now if that peacekeeping Judgment girl were to witness how he had came into possession of that holy item only young girls were allowed to wear.

That loud cry shook the whole dorm and awakened the sleeping Athena from her slumber.

"Mhmm… what is the matter, shishou?" Sitting up slowly from the bed, she rubbed her sleepy eyes with her pale hands. Her blue pajamas were common amongst middle school girls, but it fit her especially well, although it looked very childish for such a grown-up girl like her. One cannot just ignore the cute animal prints along the woven nightwear.

But Takayama did so without any problems. "It's nothing! There's absolutely nothing wrong! Just go back to bed already!" He reassured her, but the guilty look printed on his face was like a giant hazard sign on the side of a road. His attention was brought towards that thing, which was now somewhere around his feet, but he pulled back and braced the wall behind him.

The girl tilted her head a bit to show off her obliviousness. Her blue eyes were bright inside the shadowy dorm room. And Takayama was afraid of those blue eyes which screamed of innocence. No, that wasn't wholly accurate. He was afraid of his own guilt and of taking advantage of this whole arrangement of living under the same roof. Only a vile scum could enjoy such an arrangement, he decided.

"W-wait, could it be?!" Athena's obliviousness was gone and a frightened look showed itself.

Takayama looked confused for a moment before gritting his teeth and becoming frightened as well. However, he looked less like a cowering wimp and more like a rebellious criminal about to be caught in the act. At least he was glad he maintained his delinquent atmosphere to the very end.

Meanwhile, that girl looked like she was on to something.

Perhaps she had realized the despicable act he had done?

Before Takayama could react, the girl disappeared from the bed and smashed her body against his. "Ughh?!"

That android possessed superior physical capabilities so it was unsurprising she could move as quickly as that.

The sudden burst of movement and inertia flung his body backwards slightly until those artificial arms grabbed his back and pushed him towards her in a tightening clutch.

"I-it's that ghost is it not? Shishou, did you see the ghost haunting the dorm?!" She asked with a stutter as she looked around terribly frightened.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"It's a ghost, shishou! They are spectral beings of unknown origin. It is said that they are completely supernatural so they cannot be explained by science, and those who are often seen have a keen appetite for vengeance. Have you not watched those documentaries at all?"

"I know what they are, and they are just a load of bull! Plus you're not really all that normal yourself so why are you even afraid!" Takayama felt his head squeezed against her soft chest. The buttons of her pajamas poked on his face painfully. To anyone, this may have felt like heaven, but for Takayama, it was different. "More importantly, you're crushing me! I really will be killed at this rate!"

"B-but… the ghost!"

"There is no ghost! Just let go of me already!"

Athena loosened her grip on the boy after a while when she heard nothing but their voices and realized her own overreaction.

But before Takayama's head could fall on her lap, they heard small, echoing footsteps coming from outside. There were four gentle footsteps and then a small knock on the door. Every sound wave coming from that knock was like an ominous message from death himself.

"IT'S THE GHOST!" Athena cried out loudly such that the boy's eardrums were struck and a ringing sound filled his hearing.

As if reacting to that cry, the knock turned into a succession of angry bangs as though the one behind it were trying to break in. The door seemed to nudge with every heavy beat.

"Wa-wa-wa-wa… what should we doooo?!"

"Just why are you so afraid?! You can punch a hole through the wall and jump over a building can't you?! I won't be surprised if that so-called ghost got afraid of you instead!" Ignoring those facts, Takayama slowly stood up while being held by those arms which possessed such amazing strength. "In any case, let's just get this over with and find out what exactly is going on." As he walked forward dragging Athena along with him, the girl's teeth chattered and her eyes remained glued to the front entrance where the banging still continued.

He may have jolted backwards from the shock of seeing that thing outside the door, but he was being held in place, and the thing outside the door was something he recognized so he didn't need to be frightened in the first place.

Regardless, he turned the knob and opened the door. Just as Athena was about to panic again, he stopped her with a hand and stared at that tiny thing covered in a white sheet that was a size of an elementary school student.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm trying to be scary here, Takayama-chan!" The white sheet made two tall bumps from the top of its head. Most likely, it was its arms.

Meanwhile, Takayama glared down at it, and Athena continued to quiver.

"Did you really think your happy love nest will continue without a hitch? Well, think again!" The white sheet, or rather, the person underneath it swayed from side to side while looking like one of those kids who dresses up as a ghost for Halloween.

She was the magician who was sent to monitor him, Morgan Le Fay.

The boy immediately recognized those frills underneath that white cloth and that energetic voice.

"Now then, time to give me some candy, Takayama-chan!" She uncovered her head and revealed her long, fluffy blonde hair. "What's with that scary look? Why don't you ease up a little and give me all the candy you have! Don't you see how difficult it is to make this costume that I prepared for such an occasion?!"

Takayama picked up a leftover cardboard box from the kitchen, placed it on her head, spun her round a couple of times, and pushed her forward.

"Uwaaaahh~ is this some sort of new Academy City game we are playing? Wah-wah-wah~ it sure is hard, I can't see a thing! Will you give me some candy if I win?! You better be prepared then!"

Morgan began to walk around unsteadily to someplace while still looking like she was having fun. Meanwhile, Takayama and Athena just looked on from the front entrance.

"That's that. Let's go." Takayama said in a bored tone as he returned inside, and Athena followed right after looking a bit worried at that mysterious kid.

* * *

_**Normal_Boy_And_His_Troubles**_

Lots of different faces walked passed Takayama along the school building, faces he couldn't recognize. Being around people who wore the same uniform as the one he was wearing now made him realize once again that he was just another student of Academy City. Fighting Skill-Outs, agents of the dark side, and these so-called magicians had sent him to the hospital with all kinds of injuries.

However, he was not a hero, a villain, or a Skill-Out. He was nothing more than just a normal student, an ordinary piece in the machinery called the Power Curriculum Program, and as such his duty lays here. To say that he was anything more would be false.

He did not stand at the center of the world. He was just a water droplet in the vast ocean that is the world.

If some higher being were to decide his fate, then he can do nothing but to oblige.

If some great conflict between good and evil were occurring, then he will have to adjust to whatever effect reaches him from the aftermath.

Thus the normal boy, who was hospitalized for a long time because of a string of events that forced him to get involved, opened the classroom door and immediately received questioning glances from his unfamiliar classmates. He was certain the classroom was lively even from the outside just a minute ago.

He stiffened for a moment under his white hoodie and blazer before walking warily over towards his seat at the other side next to the window. At least he remembered where his seat was. He didn't want to ask every stranger in this damn classroom.

The eyes followed him to his seat where he now slouched forward with a menacing glare.

The frail girl, Tsuyuri Aki, flinched a little when a devious aura exuded from the blonde-haired boy's body.

Being right next to him was actually quite difficult, more difficult than she could remember. It was a lot easier when there was an intermediary around, like Atsuchi or Tatemiya, but those two were not here.

She looked towards the front row but Atsuchi was currently absent. Seeing as there was no one here to help her, she moved her attention back to the scary, misunderstood boy. "Wha-what's the matter?" She said in a soft and shaking voice.

"These guys don't like me, I can feel it." Takayama shifted his glare around the classroom and caught some glances directed towards him.

"Well, there were a lot of awful rumors going around while you were gone, Takayama-san."

_That's right. I almost forgot. I've been hanging out with the delinquents in District 10... _Takayama recalled how he came to hang out with the seniors. During that time he was apathetic to everything because of how his actions had led to consequences that were beyond his control, and how he failed to protect anyone because of his own mistake, so he just allowed himself to follow this guy named Shin. But at that point, he no longer saw any point in oppressing espers even though he still disliked them.

That was what he did before he tried to rescue that certain girl.

At any rate, that was all in the past now.

When the bell rang signaling that it was lunch time, he noticed Tsuyuri get up, bringing her lunch with her.

"I'll see you later then. Saki-san and I are going to have lunch at the cafeteria together."

"O-ohhh..." Takayama nodded and watched her leave the classroom.

This was for the best. Having her around him will only complicate things for her, he thought. This was not about a Level 3 hanging out with a Level 0, but a rumored thug imposing himself on a girl with a good standing.

He scratched his blonde hair as he thought of what to do. Atsuchi was not here and he hasn't seen Tatemiya around. Also, _that guy_ was obviously not here of course…

The silence of the classroom became more obvious as time went on. There was nothing he could do.

He sighed in annoyance, bought a sandwich and a can of coffee from a vending machine, and moved towards the peaceful rooftop where not a single soul was present. As always, he wondered why such a nice-looking place was vacant. The three long empty benches formed a semi-square in the middle, and the flowerbeds surrounding the roof looked the same as he last saw them.

He ate his lunch as he leaned on the rails along the edge, staring off into distance and occasionally looking down at the school grounds. Pleasant chatter could be heard from down below as students grouped together towards the nice spots of the school. He could see the monorail running across the district from there and also the large three-bladed windmills scattered across the city. He stayed there alone while the other students were having fun with their friends.

By the time he took his last sip from the coffee can, the door suddenly opened behind him. This was no surprise. Someone was bound to claim this nice spot on the roof so it was natural that more than one person would come here.

"Hello," said a girl he didn't recognize.

His brows furrowed as he saw her. She had long, black hair, the usual blazer, necktie and skirt, and an expression which looked like a statue's. For a moment there he was reminded of that Judgment branch chief. That was odd. Were people gradually turning into expressionless zombies? He didn't want any part of that if it were true, and he didn't want any part of this girl either.

So he casually walked towards the door after he had quietly thrown all his stuff away, but the moment he came within range, the girl didn't step aside to let him pass.

"Oi, can you move out of the way?" Takayama spat out, slightly pissed.

But he didn't receive his answer. The girl only stared at him with her chilling eyes of dark brown. Her black hair parted neatly to the side, revealing a bit of her forehead. Although he couldn't see her back, he measured that her hair was long enough to reach down her waist. She wore no accessories at all however.

_What's this girl's problem?! Is she a few cans short of a six pack or something?! _The boy gritted his teeth and glared at her. Although she looked very tall, she was only an inch taller than him and was actually pretty slender. But none of her defining characteristics told him who she was. He only knew a handful of people in his school after all. "Didn't you hear me?!"

"Takayama-san… ?" She quietly muttered while maintaining her stare.

The blonde-haired boy was taken aback a little after being called by his name. "Yeah?"

Silence filled the air. The girl did not respond at all. She did not move from her spot.

"What? You got some problem? Oi, Answer me!" His patience began to reach its limits. "Did you come here to say you I shouldn't have returned to school?! Are you one of those who think trash like me should be discarded away?!" Suddenly, he thrust his fist towards the space beside her head. With a dry sound, his knuckles landed on the cold, hard wall.

However, despite the sudden violence, the girl didn't even flinch or react. For a few minutes his arm lay still beside her ear and her dark silky hair. His body now sandwiched the girl against the door with only less than an arm's length between them. And throughout it all, her face remained unchanged as if it was not her concern. Now that he had taken a good look at her, he had to admit, she had a pretty face.

_Oi, oi, oi, what the hell are you doing, Takayamaaaaaaa?! Have you gone completely insane?! _His inner thoughts screamed at the fist which could have knocked her head.

The silent girl didn't seem to notice the boy's frantic behavior. "Freeze the world."

Another silence filled the air yet again. Everything was not making any sense at all inside the boy's confused mind.

"..." After failing to register those words, Takayama accidentally showed a dumb look as he thought he heard something gibberish. "Wh-what?"

"I heard from Tatemiya-san that you are new to your power so I thought you needed some advice…" The girl spoke quietly. "When you find yourself having difficulty, just imagine a world completely frozen. I think this has a connection with how effective our Personal Realities can be."

This time he heard her clearly. The boy lifted his hand off the wall and moved it to scratch the back of his head after getting a bit of distance. "Ahh... Is that so? Well, now that you gave me some advice, I suppose you can let me pass?" He said sounding like he was talking to a little girl who was doing errands for her mother. It was obvious that he was just playing along with this girl's nonsense.

Why was that?

It was plain and simple that she was just offering some kindness to him.

But the boy decided to reject that kindness. He was not a hero or a villain. Though if one were to look back on what he has done, they will realize that he has walked down similar paths to those two things. He must have also realized it at this point.

But he did not belong to either. He had more failures than he could count. So by tallying up all his results, it was a no-brainer that he belonged in the sidelines.

And because of those failures, accepting kindness from others felt wrong. Involving someone because of his own blunder felt wrong.

But regardless of how obvious he tried to play her with minimal effort, her reaction was not what he had expected. She looked hesitant as if reading into something else, or as if remembering an error she made. She stepped aside in the end.

Takayama finally looked relieved and took a step forward as he begun to leave this roof and this odd girl.

"Also, I don't think you're trash. But if you think you are, then I cannot do anything about it." She spoke from his side. Her voice seemed quieter than before. And her eyes looked... kind of sad...

Takayama abruptly stopped his advance. "What makes you think that? Just who the hell are you anyway?"

The girl's gaze dropped down. "Tatemiya-san spoke a great deal about you so it must be true, but I'm just someone who watches from the side so I'm still a little bit unfamiliar with the world you live in." She took a short pause before continuing. "I am someone who should have been there but was powerless to do anything in the end."

A Personal Reality was something all espers create during their stay in this city. This girl just reminded Takayama what it was he had planned to do after recovering. And so he left the mysterious girl up on the roof without any more words. He also took an early leave from school, bringing his bag with him. Attendance was not really a requirement in any school in Academy City, but he will be able to get permission from where he was heading anyway so there was no need to fret.

But the moment he took a step outside the school gates…

"It's him."

"It's that guy, the one who took out my brother's friend."

"I think he was also the one who attacked the club president if that rumor about him being a member of that Skill-Out group is true."

"Are you sure? His hair is different from the reports."

"No, that's definitely him alright. Those two seniors are no longer with him, but I'm definitely sure that's him."

"Wow, he's really bad news isn't he? We should do something about him."

Takayama didn't want to hear that last sentence, and as soon as he heard the clamoring of feet near the convenient store, his heart felt like it almost burst at the same time he kicked the ground to begin a full on sprint. "Shit! I knew this would happen!" He looked back and saw six people, all wearing different high school uniforms. "I should've waited until after school! Damn, people were bound to get revenge sooner or later for those stuff I did during the summer! Someone must have heard that I returned to school and called everyone he knew!"

At least if there were students leaving school, these guys would be more wary in causing any commotion.

From behind, one of the people chasing him snickered. "This guy is really good at running away. What a coward."

"We'll be praised as heroes if we take him out, right? This guy is pretty much a criminal after all."

"Yeah, we should probably leave him in a dumpster. But that wouldn't give us any recognition so we should call Anti-Skill as well and tell them we caught him threatening us espers. I'll play the hero of course."

"That sounds good. I'll play the victim."

"Then I'll be a witness... Wait! I want to be the hero! That's just not fair that you get the good parts all the time, you idiot!"

Takayama paid more attention to where he was running than what the ones chasing him were discussing, but hearing some of the fragments made him feel sick. "Fuck you people!" He shouted, but they didn't seem to care.

Shops, apartments, and schools faded away into the background as he rushed passed them with all the speed he could muster. He turned away from the main road and into an alley which twisted and turned for each dozens of steps. Takayama was almost caught through his blazer when he turned around the corner, slipped on a puddle of what seemed like oil, and forced into the adjacent wall. One of them had grabbed onto his blazer, but Takayama immediately recovered and sent a punch straight to that person's face. He could still remember how that guy cried in pain and how his friends left him to continue the chase.

"Sister, look." Standing in front of a fast food restaurant's store window, a girl wearing a maid uniform with black and yellow colors pointed towards a boy who suddenly appeared from a nearby alley while being chased by a group of people. "That guy seems to be in trouble. Shouldn't we help?"

Beside her, a girl wearing a sailor uniform with a long skirt and headband yawned. "Help? Do I look like I have the athletic capabilities to engage in single combat like an amazon?"

"That's true, wait here then, you shut-in. I'm gonna give them a taste of my Violence Doughnut and tell the authorities afterwards that they were trying to molest me. You act as my witness, okay?"

"Alright~"

From far away, another pair of girls noticed the scene.

"Wha-wha...?! Stop right there! Why are you chasing that man?!" A pig-tailed girl pulled out her Judgment armband from her skirt's pocket.

"I just bumped into you and already something weird is happening." A laid back girl with low pig-tails shrugged.

"You stay here and don't interfere. This is Judgment's responsibility, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am~"

Takayama's breathing gradually turned haggard when he reached the middle of this long pedestrian road. From each side he could see several people minding their own business, but he was not about to call for help. This was his own problem so there was no need to get people involved. He thought that, but when he looked behind him, a girl wearing a weird maid uniform landed an amazing flying kick on one of his pursuers' forehead while another girl who seems to be a member of Judgment used teleportation and appeared on top of another guy to pin him down. So there were only three left chasing him.

"Arghh! You guys are seriously annoying!" He pulled one of the round tables on the side of the road near a food stand as he was rushing through and left it in the middle of the path to create an obstruction. "If you guys want to be a hero so much, then grow some balls and fight me one-on-one, damn it!"

* * *

_**A_Certain_Hero(?)'s_Entrance**_

"Being the Queen's roommate is so wonderful!" A girl named Megumi exclaimed inside a large hangar, which stretched far enough to hold a single plane, though there was no plane here at all but a bunch of machinery and tools. Megumi stood atop a thirty-foot-tall, rectangular steel platform supported by several thin rods which crisscrossed together and acted like a ladder in some parts. "Ahh~ Now if I can only just find my prince!"

In truth, she was inside one of the many rentable spaces for engineering and research in District 9. This was her own personal space where her creations rest. Although most of it were just pipes, sprockets, copper wires, drums, and other spare parts. To the west and east side contained all the smaller stuff inside plastic containers placed along a wide shelf, and to the front was a big, heavily barred steel garage door. The only other exit was the single door to the west.

"Say, Mark I, will you get jealous if I find my prince?" She said as she tightened the bolt on a large machine with her wrench. The machine was so big that it was taller than her standing on the platform. But calling it a machine may actually be false. It was covered mostly in a large light-weight synthetic fabric so it was difficult to say what exactly it was.

After she screwed the last bolt in, she put her tools back into her toolbox, sat back on the platform's rails, and took a sip of her tea from a tiny porcelain teacup, although she was still wearing her dirty lab coat.

"Now then," she muttered as she rested the cup on a small saucer she was holding. "How did they knew who was under Queen's influence? Is it an ability which detects when an esper ability is activated? But that would be pretty difficult if it were used inside this city full of espers."

Megumi tried to imagine it, someone under hypnosis and a group of people pursuing that person. If she started from the very beginning of the problem, then it will surely bring things to light.

One thing for certain was that they knew it was Shokuhou Misaki under the vestige of the hypnotized person. And if they chased that person specifically because it was Shokuhou Misaki using that body, then that would mean they were actually after Shokuhou Misaki herself. Imagining that someone was after her beloved Queen made her a bit angry, but she calmed herself down immediately and went back to thinking.

Her face looked down on the rich liquid inside her teacup as steam rose to her face and fogged her glasses. Liquid. There was a theory that powers like Mental Out work by manipulating the secretion of fluids and chemicals in a target's brain. An ability like hypnosis simply changes the state of a brain's chemicals from state A, where he is under normal condition, to state B, where he is under control. Perhaps there exists an ability which could detect when the states transition from one another. It was possible that this unknown group had an esper with an ability such as that, Megumi thought.

At any rate, the Queen brainwashed that girl during that night and was able to protect her at the end of the chase. She was very kind, as Megumi expected of her even though she acts cold most of the time.

But what if Shokuhou wasn't able to get that girl to safety? What would have happen to her? And why were they chasing her in the first place?

Megumi racked her brain a bit more to follow this train of thought.

The Queen would definitely come to save that girl. And if that group knew she would come, then it was undoubtedly a trap. Perhaps that was their plan. If they took a hypnotized person captive, then surely the Queen would come to rescue, and if not the Queen herself, then the clique members under her orders, but that will still align with their plans if they manage to get a hold of one and interrogate her to get to the Queen.

If that was true, then she should inform Shokuhou immediately. She should inform the other clique members as well and warn them that they shouldn't act alone. Even if she didn't knew what exactly their goal was, she should still focus on protecting the Queen.

With that in mind, she quickly put the tea down and stood up in the platform, but the platform shook a little without warning.

"Wha-what?!"

The unexpected shake had caught her by surprise, and soon her right foot left the steel plating. Her heart leapt. Before she knew it, nothing was supporting her. Gravity pulled her in from a height that will not leave her alive. The tools and parts she knocked with her feet fell with her.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" She cried out loudly. This was the end of the line, all alone and from such a minor cause. Her glasses fell out of her face at some point so she could see nothing but a big white blur. She felt the wind brush her cheeks, and then finally felt the impact reach her back.

But she didn't die.

"Are you alright?"

Megumi opened her eyes but still couldn't see anything clearly. Instead, though, she felt that the descent continued but slower. She also felt two arms carrying her as she descended like a feather falling casually. The sound of the tools landing on the floor surpassed their descent.

"Here, your glasses." The source of this voice seemed warm and resolute, accompanied by the great gust of wind that was blowing and circling around them.

Once she regained her vision, she immediately saw the face of a concerned young man. He had focused eyes of pitch black. They looked intimidating but warm and kind at the same time. His brown hair was like chestnut. A long red scarf wrapped around his neck, and below that scarf was a similarly colored red coat over a black T-shirt.

"Prince... ?" She muttered and blinked twice to make sure she was not dreaming.

The stranger looked confused by what she said.

"No, no... It was nothing." Megumi's face turned a slight shade of red. "Who are you?"

"Just a hero passing by." He smiled cheerfully.

When the descent stopped, Megumi finally realized that she and this boy had been floating due to dense air currents cushioning them.

The boy who called himself a hero put Megumi down on the floor of the large hangar. "Are you hurt anywhere? Want me to call an ambulance?"

"No, I'm fine." The girl steadied herself on the floor and patted her clothes. "Th-thanks..." She said shyly.

"No problem, though I would you rather be wary of any injuries instead of thanking me." The boy replied again with a smile. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amatsukaze Shiki, pleased to meet you."

"I'm Yuzuki Megumi. Just Megumi is fine. It's a pleasure to— No, no, stop, Megumi! This is no time to be captured by the chains of love!" The lab coat wearing girl fidgeted like unstable chemicals inside a test tube.

"Anyway, shall we go outside and have someone take a look at you? I'm still afraid that you might be injured somewhere. Yuzuki-san is from Tokiwadai, correct?" Amatsukaze gave a brief glance at the Tokiwadai winter uniform under Megumi's white lab coat. "Perhaps we should go to your dorm and have someone there look at you."

"No, that's alright. You're too kind to be so concerned of little old me." Megumi smiled a little. "Though I'm greatly flattered… you are just not my prince." The girl put her hands on her lab coat's lower pockets and twirled around playfully until she stopped a fair distance from the boy, in front of the large machine covered by a large synthetic fabric. "You should probably get out now before more trouble arrives."

"What are you talking about? I came here to save you."

"That's not what I meant. This space is rented exclusively for my use only. There were security locks and infrared sensors at the entrance so no one should be able to enter aside from me." Megumi pushed her glasses up with her index finger. Her cute mannerisms as a maiden in love were gone. She was no longer the meek girl earlier, it seemed she was now a completely different person. The atmosphere around her changed. "I thank you for saving me and returning my glasses, but I have to ask... who are you exactly?" As if reacting to her change in expression, the large machine behind her let out an echoing sound of motors, pumps, and suspensions moving to a certain rhythm.

It was unclear, but it seemed that a gale was being formed or collected around Amatsukaze's silhouette. Some kind of roaring veil surrounded him. "Didn't I tell you earlier?" He smiled, but it was different from what Megumi saw earlier. Stepping backwards, he opened his arms up as if welcoming her. At the same time, the wind made loud noises around the sealed hangar as it knocked over steel pipes and containers. His red scarf flowed with this powerful gale. "I'm a hero."

* * *

**END AN:**

**I just realized how many OC's I just introduced in one chapter. Just to be clear, Yuzuki Megumi and Amatsukaze Shiki are OC's. On a different note, I'm referring to Megumi as Megumi because I just want to!**

**It was stated in the novel that powers like Mental Out actually indirectly control bioelectricity by manipulating a brain's chemicals, and in some cases, moisture. This explains why Misaka is unaffected by Shokuhou's power, since she can manipulate bioelectricity directly.**

**U-uhhh... did I forgot anything else? Well anyway, that's it for now!**

**Thank you for reading and please leave some feedback!**


	25. Mental Contradiction: Ruckus

**Aaaaand I'm back after so long! I've had such a busy month that I always find myself lacking sleep so I have to delay this chapter. -.-"**

**That and because I wanted to revise a chapter before releasing this one, namely chapter 8, but I guess I'll postpone that for now.**

**Now then, a new volume of the light novel is about to be released and I'm wondering if I can pull out some ideas for my next project from that one. I will be doing a new work centered around Accelerator after this arc and the following arc, so Paradigm will temporarily we be on hiatus for a while. Attractor Field is on my lowest priority list so that will most likely not be updated soon.**

**Anyway, I found this chapter difficult because there were so many characters appearing and I had to show them no matter what. Hopefully it came out as good as I expected.**

**So with that, hope you enjoy and leave some reviews afterwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 25 - Mental_Contradiction: Ruckus**

* * *

_**Differences**_

"Please don't forget, Queen. There's a convenience store just two streets from here. You can get most of the supplies from there. For the cake, it definitely has to be from the bakery at the corner of this street. We may want to have something big enough for four or five people, okay? Oh, and do please invite Misaka-san. She is from a different dorm, but I'm sure our dorm manager will understand. It will be quite fun with the fellow Level 5 who you get along with at our party. The more the merrier after all! Huh? What about me? Well, I have no friends! So, in any case, please do invite Misaka-san. After all, I know you love being around her so much!"

The Number Five Level 5 of Academy City frowned when she remembered the instructions of her supposed clique member who had her status recently upgraded to roommate.

She was holding a basket with her left hand and a soda bottle with her other hand. For some reason, the Queen of Tokiwadai Middle School was uncharacteristically looking at a cheap soda bottle that usually only commoners had the mindset to buy while having a troubled look written on her face. Casual footsteps and small conversations could be heard around her inside the convenience store.

The reason for this was simple. While she was savoring the heavenly taste of her delicious cake roll, a topic was suddenly brought up by the glasses-wearing girl. It was to have a party to celebrate their being new roommates. She absentmindedly agreed, and the girl ran away in an energetic dash before she could take back her word.

She must have given up on buying items because she dropped the soda back to its bin and angrily stomped away from the store.

"Honestly, that beansprout sure knows how to order people around! And instead of helping me, she ran away to her dirty garage with a big grin on her face!" shouted Shokuhou as she now faced the street with nothing in her hands that could help in preparing for the party.

It was unthinkable.

For someone of such a high status as her to be ordered around, it was unthinkable. But it was her fault in the first place so she could do nothing about it.

Since moving in, Yuzuki Megumi had filled up their room with various power tools, far from what a high-class girl of Tokiwadai would do. The scent inside gradually changed from the melodious combination of honey and lemons to dirty crude oil. She was indeed a spontaneous girl who just does whatever she wants without concern for other people. Shokuhou just recently learned about this.

The blonde-haired girl looked exhausted as she stood by the street, deciding what she should do next. She could be relaxing by a café full of sweets right now and enjoying the nice afternoon if only this errand wasn't pushed onto her. She was not too far away from the School Garden which was the exclusive area meant for high-class girls so she could easily turn back now and head to that direction, but for some reason, she didn't.

This area looked a bit familiar. Taking a few seconds to realize that this was an area that certain spiky-haired boy frequents, she shook her head angrily. This was not the time to be getting mushy.

She was about to move on when a voice suddenly called out to her.

"Hm? Is that Shokuhou-san? What are you doing here?"

Swaying with the wind, the long, black hair of a girl whom Shokuhou vaguely remembers as one of the friends of that flat-chested Number Three caught her attention, and said girl returned her stare with an unsure smile.

"Golden hair, weird gloves, and outrageous breasts, just like what Misaka-san described. You really don't look like a middle schooler. Ah, did I sound overly familiar? I'm sorry." The girl named Saten Ruiko politely bowed a little when she was just within reach. A bag pack was loosely hanging behind her back which made Shokuhou slightly curious. "You probably don't know me, but I'm friends with Misaka Mikoto. My name is Saten Ruiko."

For a moment, Shokuhou Misaki's glistening half-closed eyes looked at her with disinterest. She had got into contact with her only once and that was during Daihaseisai when the matter with the Misaka clones had arose, but she had completely wiped all of Saten Ruiko's involvement with her so it was unlikely she recalled anything in particular.

"May I ask what brings you here, Saten-san? If I recall correctly, classes are still in session."

In any case, Shokuhou Misaki and Saten Ruiko were two people who were like the abundant and rich planet of Earth and the poor planet of Mars. Even if she wanted to, Shokuhou couldn't think of anything to say about her because of their differences. For whatever reason, it was a bit unnatural for them to meet up like this. She wondered if they were involved with this, but it seemed unlikely.

"Ohh… Classes just ended a bit early for me because of some meeting between the teachers, so I was just wandering around to kill time." Slightly nervous, Saten replied as she became more wary of Shokuhou's eyes.

But those eyes finally gave up and she let out a short sigh. "Well, it's none of my business what you do."

"But since you're here, doesn't that mean that classes have already ended for you, too? No, wait. Since you're a Level 5, your curriculum must be completely different from everyone else's!"

Level 5's were after all considered as honor students so a special schedule was often created for these special children who have advanced so far ahead in the standard curriculum. Saten must have imagined that case every time she thought of Level 5's. "They must have given you a pretty loose schedule and so you must have a lot of free time on your hands! Gahh! I'm so jealous!"

The starry-eyed girl took a brief moment to reply. "Yes, that's exactly it. You're very well informed for someone who goes to an ordinary public school." She smiled and nodded happily.

But Saten had missed her mark completely.

_Hmph! It makes no difference whether I attend that 30 meter dash or not! Making someone overly exert stress into their muscles is a grave sin that no one should force on such a refined lady! In the end, it all comes down to one's own intelligence and academics!_

As the super refined lady Level 5 continued to lead the normal Level 0 down the wrong path, a blonde-haired boy ran past them while being chased by some people.

Surprised, Saten turned her attention towards them while Shokuhou just casually side-stepped away and tried not to get involved.

"So anyway, I was thinking if you know this bakery," said Saten as she pulled out a pamphlet from her bag when the commotion disappeared.

Shokuhou twitched upon reading the name of the shop written on that paper, which only made the black-haired girl curious.

"Is something the matter?"

"N-nothing! I just felt a cold breeze all of a sudden!"

"Really? I didn't feel anything."

As Saten tilted her head a bit in a questioning look, Shokuhou was reminded of the troublesome errand she wanted to get away from. In this situation, she had to quickly change the subject before things take a turn for the worse.

"Oh? Isn't that it?! Shokuhou-san, I found it!" Saten pointed towards a certain direction.

"That's nice," replied Shokuhou as if it wasn't her concern. Her chance to finally split with this girl has finally come, she thought as she smiled in her victory.

"Come on, let's go!"

"Wa-wait, why am I coming too?! Is your ability to read between the lines the same as your level?!"

Just when the Level 5 Mental Out finally thought she was free, the Level 0 girl, whom was the representative of the normal students, crushed her authority and pulled her arm to the area across the street.

"Let's buy a nice cake and invite Misaka-san as well!"

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

* * *

_**Judgment_Situation_No._1.**_

Mifune Hisako was one of the senior members of Judgment's 164th branch. She was a very serious member who took her job very, very seriously, especially when she was usually in charge of handling communication between them. Perhaps her talent with communication was related to her gaining the kind of ability she possessed. Apart from that talent, she was just an ordinary girl who liked pleasant and silent mornings accompanied with tea, earl grey if possible.

In any case, she was someone who couldn't stand for recklessness and unruly behavior within Judgment. One particular person she was constantly trying to keep an eye out was the rookie girl who just joined this year.

As she entered the empty office, she was reminded of what she had to tell that same rookie regarding the other members of Judgment.

"Ah, Hisako-san, good afternoon!" A girl with straight, black hair which rested on her shoulders stepped out of the bathroom at one corner of the office. It was Tatemiya Haruka, the rookie Judgment member. For some reason, her hair was not tied up in a pony-tail, and even more so, it was wet from taking a shower from that bathroom. Apparently, their office came with a large bathroom, equipped with a shower area. "I came in early since my tests at the lab were done. Anyway, where's Hajime-san?"

"…"

"What's wrong, Hisako-san?" asked Tatemiya as she rubbed the towel hanging around her shoulders on her wet hair that was usually tied up.

"Who are you?"

"IT'S ME! IT'S ME, HISAKO-SAN!"

"That voice… Haruka?"

"Why did it take you five minutes to realize that?!" retorted the rookie Judgment girl.

"Ahh, sorry, sorry, I didn't recognize you without that annoying pony-tail of yours," replied Hisako nonchalantly as she moved on and placed the laptop she was holding on a desk not too far away.

"Wait, I feel like something is definitely off with how you just put the topic aside like that! It's like you just decided that my existence was something trivial just now!" shouted the young girl.

After brushing off the issue of Tatemiya Haruka's existence, they began their usual Judgment work, which in this case were tons of paperwork. Just like usual, Mifune Hisako typed on her laptop peacefully while Tatemiya sat on the couch with stacks of paper sitting in front of her on a coffee table.

"Hmm... seems like Anti-Skill's handling of the exhibition for the newly developed Powered Suits is going smoothly, but they might still ask for help from us to handle the traffic around the event area," muttered the rookie Judgment member.

Judgment was a student organization which handles public safety and affairs around schools. They handle jobs such as finding lost objects, stopping streetfights, checking the security around schools, and so on. In more serious cases such as a bombing or a group of espers running rampant, Anti-Skill was usually called in, but there were times when the two would work hand in hand to resolve certain situations.

Hisako nodded and added a note in her desktop. She then took a brief glance at her young colleague and noticed something different about her. "Did something happen, Haruka? You seem kind of mature. And I mean that not because of your appearance."

The girl in question stared at her senior quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I don't really know. I just sense something different from you. I guess it's kind of like when someone climbs a tall mountain for the first time and returns a changed person. I'm not sure, but I just feel you matured a little."

Haruka paused for a while before giving her reply. "Maybe it has something to do with my fight against Takayama." Her words carried a little weight more than usual. It was a mixture of acceptance and resolve.

"Takayama? That Level 0 who came to Academy City at the same time as you?"

"Yeah..."

"Takayama, the one who helped saved your butt after stupidly getting caught by Skill-Outs?"

"Y-yeah... wait, you're still mad about that?!"

"So what did fighting Takayama get you, you battle addict?"

"You're really on a roll today, Hisako-san! Have you finally decided to let out all that pent up rage you have within towards me?!" Since the time when she was starting out as a trainee, which had only been 4 months ago, Tatemiya Haruka was aware of that terrifying other side of her superior, Dark Hisako-san. Haruka brushed the back of her head for a while and then released the things which have been on her mind. "Ahh... I guess I was all wrong about Takayama, and myself as well. Unlike me, he's not chasing anyone, while I've just been obsessed with getting ahead of him every chance I get. I may have thought that in order to become a Level 5 you need a goal or someone to chase, but that's just not it. There is more to it than that, though I'm not completely sure myself."

Hisako listened to her and then replied, "hmm... there's really nothing I can say about that since I'm not too concerned of reaching Level 5. But changing the way you think about things can be good sometimes. That's how scientists usually begin their innovations in our world after all." She rested her elbow on top of her desk and pressed her cheek against her palm, "But if you really do want to find a good opponent, then why don't you ask Hajime?"

"Eh? Is there someone Hajime-san knows?"

Hisako gently shook her head in response. "You'll learn eventually."

Haruka tilted her head slightly as she wondered what Hajime Kaiji had to do with this.

"Anyway, Haruka, it's going to be lonely in the office soon. I hope you're prepared for more work." With a gentle stroke, Hisako brushed away the black hair obscuring the lens of her glasses and set it behind her ear.

"Eh? Why?"

"Because Kairi and the rest are graduating soon, and their busy schedules won't allow them to have the time to come to the office. Once they graduate from high school they'll immediately try to find work, except Kairi who is going overseas, which leaves only the three of us here in this branch."

"I see..." Haruka replied as her eyes fell to the floor.

Hisako looked at her and seemed to get an idea. "Why don't you get your friends to join?"

"Eh?"

"We will probably need some help in the future. The ones who rescued you seem capable enough. What were their names again? Atsuchi, Tsuyuri, and Takayama...? Anyway, why don't you ask them to join Judgment?"

Watching the rookie liven up after hearing the idea, Hisako couldn't help but smile. That was the other side of Hisako as well.

A TV was playing some news in the background, displaying the current strife in Europe and the increasing negativity of the people of the Church towards Academy City.

Hisako was grumbling over the news while spinning her pen around her thumb when Tatemiya's phone suddenly let out a soft ringing tone.

"Hello... ? Ms. President? What's up?" The girl could hear a soft but expressionless mumble over the phone. If one were to listen to it closely, then it's obvious that the voice belonged to a mature girl. Its last few words made Tatemiya Haruka jump in surprise. "Takayama did whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"

* * *

_**Troubles_Conclusion.**_

A boy named Takayama Akito had bad rumors circulating around him while he was hospitalized due to getting injured during the several conflicts he had got involved with, and most of it were true. He had been a menace to espers. He had sent them to the hospital one after another. And since no one knew exactly what fate they had ended up with, it's a possibility that they never recovered... or even died. It was an atrocity, and he was the one responsible for it.

Because of this, he was running with all his might through a series of crowded streets, back alleys and shopping centers from people who want to take revenge for their fallen esper friends or obtain fame by turning in a notorious criminal. He was being pursued by three people, previously six but the other three got wiped out along the way due to some weird people helping him for some unknown reason.

Using his knowledge of the back alleys and the maze-like structure of Academy City's streets, he took detours and forked paths, but the pursuers were annoyingly persistent.

"Damn it, just how much does he want us to run?!" shouted one of the three who seems to be the oldest.

"This coward... When I get my hands on him, I'll beat him up so badly he won't even recognize his own face." Another one howled.

The long chase did not make them exhausted as Takayama wanted. Unfortunately they just became more annoyed and frustrated so the chase became even more difficult.

Takayama took a right around a corner and rushed towards the nearby alley to his right again the moment it caught his vision. He had already lost count how many streets he had crossed. His breath turned into a cold mist as he grasped desperately for air. This reminded him of that one time he was pursuing an esper who can increase velocity during his days as an enemy of espers, except that right now, he was the one being chased. He wondered if that guy he had been chasing before was making a similar face to what he was making right now.

Regardless, he had to get away from this situation to return to his annoying errand.

The frantic sounds of hard leather and rubber stepping on pavement filled the alleys as they advanced.

This time he entered a mall through its loading dock where various delivery trucks were bringing out their goods to be added to the mall's inventory. But he did not stop there and went deeper inside. He didn't stop even stop when he had already reached the mall's interior.

He looked back when he had reached a considerable amount of distance.

People were walking in multiple directions and some were blocking his view, but this could also serve as a cover for him. He stayed like that for a while as he blended in the surroundings and listened to the mixed noise of people shopping.

It seemed like he finally lost his annoying pursuers. Outrunning people was not especially a talent he had, but the conflicts he had recently been involved with had toughened up his body.

"Finally..." The boy breathed a short sigh of relief. "Will this go on for a while? I don't like having people chase me every time I take a step out of school. If I'm lucky and they continue with this routine, these damn idiots will eventually get caught by Anti-Skill. I have to make sure she doesn't get involved with this as well."

Multiple shops lined up on both sides, emitting bright lights from their LEDs.

He took a minute to confirm where he was before deciding a route to his destination. He hadn't strayed too far on his original route so it made things easier.

Takayama continued his walk until a text message coming from the phone in his pocket interrupted him.

A frown appeared on his face when he read the message displayed on the screen of his rectangular phone.

It read as: "Hey, Takayama-san! Sorry I could not come to school today. I sudden got a fever and had to rest. Anyway, how are you? Are you getting along with the class? Are you perhaps missing my company? Now, now, no need to miss your beloved best friend just because he's not in school for a day..." What followed was a long stream of text full of delusional self-conversations and random remarks, and lastly, a cheeky emoticon often used by young female Japanese middle school students who share secrets with one another and often partake in intimate girl's talk.

"Tch..." An ominous click from the boy's tongue sent chills down the spine of everyone who was near the blonde-haired boy. It seems that his plans to beat up espers have been revived and taken up to a new, more brutal level that could immediately send him to jail.

The phone went into sleep mode after having its message closed, and the boy walked on, until it vibrated again just after he had taken two steps. This time, it was not a text but a call.

"Hello?"

"Takayama, what the hell are you doooooooing?!"

A female voice replied with an agitated tone and with a familiar choice of words. Takayama jerked back for a moment in surprise, but the loud voice continued.

"What the hell are you doing raising your fist against the student council president?!"

"I seriously don't know what you're talking about so could you stop screaming in my ear? You're seriously giving me a headache. And what's this about a president?" Takayama's brows ruffled together with every bit of his confusion.

A short pause followed Takayama's remark. In all likelihood, Tatemiya Haruka, the one on the other side, couldn't believe what she was hearing. "W-what the hell? Seriously?! Are you really a student at our school that you don't even know the president?! You even tried to punch her on the rooftop!"

Hearing the words "punch" and "rooftop" together immediately sent some sort of realization to the boy, like lightning coming down and striking his puny brain. Because of this, he can no longer retort back when someone calls him an absolute idiot. "Does this president have really long hair?"

"Yeah!"

"How about a face that doesn't move an inch even when you splash her with hot udon?"

"I-I don't really get it but that's possible!"

"... Okay."

"'Okay'?! That's all you have to say after doing all those stupid things?!"

Takayama knew he was going to receive a long and annoying lecture so he just left the phone on as he walk without listening to a word the girl was saying. By the time he reached the window of a small coffee shop, his phone emitted a faint beeping sound telling him that she finally hung up with a few words which probably sounded like, "... anyway, I'm glad you're back in school," although the blonde-haired delinquent probably didn't hear that.

"Finally, no more distractions," he said to no one, but a minute hadn't even elapsed when his phone started ringing again. This time it came from the small phone hanging around his neck that was attached to a strap and a tiny rubber mascot toy which looked like a burger with mean boggle eyes. The text from Atsuchi and the call from Tatemiya came from his other phone which was now inside his pocket, but this one was being received by the tiny seed-shaped phone which was reminiscent of an old MP3 player. Takayama had not implemented a particular sorting method in his contact lists so that a person can only contact him through a particular phone, or rather, he had only left two numbers registered on this tiny phone, one was his dorm's number and the other was from a person outside Academy City.

Through the small screen, Takayama peered over and saw a name whose face he hadn't seen for a long time.

"How are things? Have you encountered any problems as of late?" A calm voice said over the phone. The voice belonged to none other than Nunotaba Shinobu.

The blonde-haired boy did not need any hints in order to know what the exact topic of this conversation was going to be. "Yeah, seems Academy City completely gave up on that project. She's safe at my dorm, but I still feel that she should have come with you when you left."

"Well, don't let your guard down regardless. That other side of Academy City is completely unpredictable. If they felt like it, they would attack your dorm without a second thought if it means that their objective will be accomplished. We don't know if they have found out about our trick after all. Academy City's higher ups have a vast information network."

Hearing that, Takayama's heart began to race a little as he gripped his phone.

"And also, no matter what we would have said to her, she would definitely rather choose to stay there with you instead of leaving Academy City with me."

"Huh? Why's that?"

A brief silence took over the phone, but if one were to listen to it closely, then he would definitely hear a low exasperated sigh of someone who was giving up after having a conversation with an utterly clueless person who had absolutely no idea what was happening around him.

"What? Did you say something?"

"No, never mind. Anyway, don't forget about that thing we agreed upon."

"Yeah, her maintenance is coming up. Have you decided on the date where you can do it, yet?"

"Before October ends, at the earliest. I will pull some strings so that you two can come here in England so that I can take a closer look at her."

"Got it."

"Stay safe."

After the conversation ended, Takayama released his hold of the phone and moved on inside the mall.

* * *

_**Battle: Enclosed_Hangar_Arena – Wind_Distortion. **_

Wind rattled along the cabinets and walls of the enclosed hangar being used as a laboratory for eccentric machinery. Although it could only be identified as wind, its unseeable appearance made it difficult to say what exactly it was. For example, it could be tiny particles of sand being moved about sporadically from one another. Or, it could be nanomachines which could crawl through surfaces at high speed. A lot of things could imitate wind without actually being wind themselves. Something artificial could easily imitate something that was natural, just like an artificial diamond that was created in factories using tools that could exert high amounts of temperature and pressure, and a regular diamond that was naturally formed within the earth.

Regardless, the one in control of this phenomenon was the boy with a long, red scarf, standing in the middle of the wide open space surrounded by musty shelves and mechanical parts. Coincidentally, his jacket was also the same shade of red. His brown, chestnut-like hair hovered over his calm face, and smile, as they parted ways and formed some carefree words. "In any case, I'm just a normal hero you see anywhere, who came here to save you. Despite your cheerfulness, you're actually being used and over-burdened as a clique member because of Academy City's Number Five, right?"

The eyes belonging to the girl named Yuzuki Megumi became more fierce as she heard Shokuhou Misaki being mentioned.

"To that end, I came here to fight for you. Even though we have not met each other before, I'm willing to secure your freedom without any reward in return, just so you could smile in peace here in Academy City." His words were flamboyant, just like a hero coming to save the damsel in distress. That was truly indeed the words of a hero. "Without a doubt, I will save you no matter what kind of obstacle tries to block me."

Had he really came here to save her?

Whether this question appeared in the back of Megumi's mind or was just tossed away as swiftly as it came, it will remain a mystery. It was not because he didn't sound serious at all. In fact, he sounded too serious. It was abnormal for someone to have such great desire to save someone he doesn't even know.

"So make my job a little easier will you and tell me where Shokuhou Misaki is."

But that last line instantly set Megumi's doubts straight.

The girl took a few skips back and stuck her tongue out playfully. "I don't like liars so please stop spouting at words which are the exact opposite of your actions." As she said that, the noise inside the hangar continued its mild attack on the containers and parts along the shelves. "Just because you use the words 'save' and 'protect' together doesn't make you a hero, not like I really know or care what a hero is anyway, but I'm sure you're absolutely not what you say you are."

Amatsukaze's expression turned slightly bitter after hearing that.

"Essentially, for you to refer to the Queen as a villain is already a messed up delusion. You don't even know who she is so how can you tell that she is abusing me?" Megumi spat out "Someone who has spent a long time admiring her, like me, knows that she is a wonderful person, but even if they weren't, then it should be obvious to them that the Queen is not the type of person who causes problems."

The supposed hero, Amatsukaze Shiki, shook his head to those words. "Delusion? I think you're completely mistaken. Isn't it you who is being delusional?"

Megumi's narrowed eyes stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"The Number Five Level 5, no, Shokuhou Misaki."

That was the name of one of Academy City's seven Level 5's, the strongest mental ability, Mental Out.

"Don't you think you're just being manipulated by her?"

His words came out one after another, and in exchange, Megumi silently listened.

"Don't you think it's strange that a couple of high-class girls are wordlessly following her?"

Tokiwadai Middle School was home to the prestigious and rich. All of the students there were considered elites based on their academics, psychic ability, and social class, Yuzuki Megumi was no different. And standing above all of them as the most influential person was the "Queen." These high-class girls were voluntarily lowering themselves and becoming her followers.

Amatsukaze continued further. "She has the strongest ability when it comes to the field of the human mind. You yourself are aware that she can control people with the push of a button, so why is it so hard to believe that your words are not yours but hers? Why is it so hard to believe that the reason you're denying this is because she is making you? Why is it so hard to believe that you're just a puppet?"

That may have been the truth. Megumi had no way of knowing if she was being controlled or not. Even if she had been the one to ask Shokuhou to make room for her various power tools in the dorm, even if she had been the one to order Shokuhou to have a welcome party, there was no absolute proof that she was being controlled and that Shokuhou was just playing along. The puppet had no way of looking up and confirming if there was a puppeteer holding the strings attached to its back. The puppeteer wouldn't let him.

"But that doesn't change things." Megumi replied with strength in her words.

She may have been just an ordinary clique member, one of those countless, faceless Tokiwadai students who follow the Level 5 around, she may have only been a side-character whose universe only centers around Shokuhou Misaki, she may not be the one shining in the spotlight, but even so, there were things she knew that never changed whether she was the heroine or the side-character.

"I don't care if I'm being manipulated by the Queen. If she asked me to become her puppet, I would do so without any questions." Without looking away, Megumi slid her fingers around the synthetic fiber of the large cloth that was covering something even bigger beside her. "Whether she is just forcing me to believe in notions that aren't my own or not, doesn't change what I have to do."

Amatsukaze gave a look of someone who refused to believe anything.

"I won't mind being deceived if it means that I can stand here protecting someone, especially if it's the Queen," Megumi finally said and let go of the synthetic cloth.

That's when it happened.

A sudden wave of gust raged on towards her direction, blowing away anything and everything in its path like a giant tsunami. The entire hangar was filled with a loud noise similar to an airplane crashing. All the parts were sent back against the opposite wall instantly. And despite this sudden phenomenon stirring the inside of the enclosed space, Amatsukaze, the one who caused all this, stood still with a bored look, his scarf fluttering freely. "If that's how you're going to be, then so be it. I'll save you even if it means dragging your limp body away with your legs all broken and disoriented."

It all happened so quickly that it was hard to get a good grasp of what actually occurred.

Amatsukaze merely took a small step to his side then an absurd amount of pressure raged towards the direction he was facing.

Dust flew about everywhere so it was difficult to get a good look around.

The girl who stood there should've been blown away like a kite flying in a storm. Once the dust settles, her body will be revealed sprawled around somewhere.

But that wasn't the case here.

"Hm?"

Amatsukaze didn't see the girl but something else. The first thing that caught his attention when all the grey blocking his view disappeared was the giant synthetic cloth that was covering something. Its outline formed something like a large hill. That thing's size could almost reach the roof.

A second later, it made a sudden movement. Its bulky body tilted to the side a bit. A portion of it lifted itself up from the ground, making the cloth grow restless. It looked like it had arms pressed on the ground and was trying to lift one of them. Perhaps it was due to the remaining wind that the cloth was gradually blown upwards, completely revealing the iron giant hiding inside it.

It looked like a Powered Suit but much, much bigger, with metallic gray paint all over its exterior. It had giant arms which were drastically bigger than its stubby legs. Its torso was rounded like a bloated balloon. Its head was like a small drum with one long, horizontal slit around it, which was most likely where its eyes were to give it its vision.

"Good job, Mark I. You reacted faster than I predicted, although, you probably need some more oil in your right arm." Megumi appeared from the space behind the large arm. The giant had shielded her from the blast of wind with its arm pressed on the ground. The girl did not have a scratch on her.

"Is that what they call a Powered Suit? It's the first time I've seen one." With his hands in his pocket, Amatsukaze glanced at the machine which stood up menacingly.

Megumi shook her head, although she looked like she was enjoying herself at unveiling her creation. "Nope, unlike a Powered Suit, Mark I doesn't need a pilot operating inside him, but he still needs someone controlling him remotely. I was planning to show him at the next big science conference, but he's still kind of incomplete. I'm still optimizing the fuel I created which can be used on rockets instead of the ones which use hydrazine."

"So you're planning to fight me with that?" Amatsukaze said with a sneer.

"That's right, Mark I should be more than enough against a wind manipulation esper like you." Megumi took a few steps behind the robot. "That's Aero Hand, right? There were some students at Tokiwadai with that power so I know more or less what you can do."

Amatsukaze's lips formed a scowl as if he just tasted something disgusting. "Wind manipulation esper? Aero Hand?"

Perhaps she had not heard it, but Megumi did not react to Amatsukaze's dubious questions. It was as if he was hearing the terms for the first time even though they were widely used inside Academy City, the city where espers were developed daily inside classrooms.

"Now how should I deal with you?" Megumi raised that question up in the still air of the hangar. "The best course of action here is probably to knock you unconscious and bring you to the Queen so she can extract information from you with her power. Well, Mark I needs exercise anyway so this works well for me as well."

A loud crash followed. Mark I had raised its fists at chest level, wound up its entire body, and slammed a fist down towards the boy. Despite its largeness, the giant moved as if ignoring its weight. The ground greatly shook due to the immense force.

"W-wait, Mark I, that's too much power you're putting in there! I don't want you to flatten him up like a pancake! Oh no, did I kill him?!"

After a second, Amatsukaze appeared away from the robot's fist.

"I didn't get him? Did he create a tornado with his hands and pushed himself back to evade Mark I's attack at the last second?" Megumi glanced over towards the brown-haired boy.

Amatsukaze stood there lazily on the other side. "What are you talking about? This damn thing just swung and missed."

Megumi raised her fist in unison to the robot. A second later Mark I took a few thundering footsteps forward and made a huge sweep with its wide arm towards Amatsukaze. But the boy seemed unconcerned. As if he almost forgot about it, he took a step back at the last moment and avoided the strike which could knock him all the way to the far side of the hangar.

Megumi noticed something strange with this. She was sure that he did not have room to evade even if he did the action he had just done. Mark I's strike should have been deadly accurate. There shouldn't be a flaw in its distance perception.

Amatsukaze took the initiative this time. He zoomed in past the giant at a speed that was hard to follow. It looked like a jet gliding through the air at Mach 1. But Megumi noticed something strange about this as well.

In an instant, he was right in front of the girl with his arm stretched out to her.

Megumi couldn't react in time, and even if she had, something was preventing her from moving. "Wh-what?!"

She struggled to comprehend what was obstructing her. It's not like she couldn't move at all, it's just that moving itself was extremely hard, like being inside quicksand, or like two giant cushions were squishing her body. She moved her arms, but just moving them a few centimeters made for a hard task.

"You're controlling that thing using your movements with motion capture, right? If so, then all I have to do is stop you from moving. I swear everywhere around this city is full of strange technology." Amatsukaze said as he stood in front of the girl with one open hand placed directly in front of her. "Now shut that thing down and I promise no more harm will come to you. A hero must prevent excessive damage and casualties after all."

A shadow loomed over Amatsukaze just as he stopped speaking. It was the giant's fist hovering above him like a guillotine.

A loud cracking noise resounded. The floor beneath the robot's fist was entirely devastated, and cracks ran along in all directions from the point of impact.

"I _said_ you're putting too much power, Mark I!" Megumi said, slightly annoyed. "Well, it's not like I got him anyway." She looked over to the left and saw the boy standing a few feet away. "Those are some nice reactions you got."

Amatsukaze patted his jacket. He didn't look arrogant, angry, frustrated, or anything else. He was just placid, as if doing a task with a small degree of motivation. "So it wasn't motion capture?"

"Of course not," Megumi shook her head. "You probably know what a transducer is, right? Things such as sound can be converted into another form of energy. A transducer in a microphone can convert sound into an electric signal. The same can be said for a loudspeaker. That's why electricity or radio waves aren't needed in order to control Mark I, unlike UAV's. I only need to send a signal and the special transducer inside Mark I will translate it for me."

"That's related to your power, isn't it?"

Although Megumi was confident in her ability, she was really starting to wonder what kind of wind manipulation was causing all this, but she had more than enough time to know what after she incapacitates him and deliver his body to her queen. _As long as he doesn't find out I can generate micro-vibrations in metal and the ground as a signal for Mark I, and he doesn't lift me off the ground to cut off my signal, I'm safe._

The giant did another sweep along the ground towards Amatsukaze, and this time, Megumi was able to see it. That attack had not missed just as she expected. Something had changed its direction. No, it was more or less like something invisible had deflected the attack as it came. The attack's course was changed, getting its long arc disrupted and replacing it with an unnatural, crooked one.

"Wind? But Mark I's weight and aerodynamics shouldn't be a problem against wind. You're going to need more than a typhoon to move Mark I," Megumi proclaimed from a fair distance.

Amatsukaze stood motionless. "Why don't you try that again?"

The giant continuously stomped on the floor as it approached the boy. Sounds of steel clunking and scraping together filled the space. Its fist was directed towards him, but Amatsukaze did nothing to circumvent this. He remained calm as usual.

As the arm approached, it bent inward by a few millimeters and fell right in front of him. The metal fist created a large crack on the floor.

"You think someone like me can be beaten with this? You espers of Academy City are getting too full of yourselves."

Megumi's face formed signs of deep confusion. Something was not right. She felt something was not right even from the beginning of the fight, but it only became noticeable at this moment. The power Amatsukaze Shiki possessed was odd on a fundamental level, she thought.

For instance, while he was fighting with Mark I and deflecting its attacks, she could not feel the wind at all unlike when he tried to blow her away earlier. A large amount of wind pressure was needed in order to disrupt its movements because of its immense weight and its corrective algorithm reacting to anomalies in its movements, which will allow it to move precisely if it detects any errors, and she would have definitely felt that if it occurred.

At the start, the wind definitely surrounded the walls of the hangar because of how objects made a sound as they tried to resist it, but she did not actually feel it. That's right, she did not know it was wind because she _felt _it, she knew it was wind because she _heard _it. It's as if the only way to feel the wind was to become its target.

The way he addressed espers was odd as well, as if he was not one of them.

After some much thinking, she came up with a conclusion.

"Wait, don't tell me... you're not an esper of Academy City?! But even something like this shouldn't be out of science's scope!" Megumi shouted out loud. "Surely a wind manipulation esper can do this!"

Something artificial can easily imitate something that was created naturally, just like an artificial diamond that was mass-produced in factories based on regular diamonds that naturally formed within the earth. Sometimes an artificial diamond can easily be mistaken for a natural diamond by non-experts. Due to their popularity and numbers, artificial diamonds became more prominent than the real ones. Due to their convenient characteristic of being easy to manufacture, artificial diamonds outnumbered the natural ones by a distinctive margin. It made the natural diamonds rarer, but that also made artificial diamonds more sought after. The value between the real and the artificial became blurred and people eventually switched their attention to the artificial ones and began investing scientific means to their production, making those stones formed within the earth abandoned. Most people already don't know what a real diamond looks like.

This situation was similar. Yuzuki Megumi had mistaken the identity of the diamond she was facing.

Taking a step forward and instantly pushing the giant's fist planted on the ground away with his abnormal power, Amatsukaze Shiki finally had enough of being mistaken as one of the research subjects of this city of science, one of the inferior, cheap, mass-produced artificial diamonds.

"Don't you dare compare me to you espers of Academy City! None of you know what having real power means!"

A great noise blew away everything around Amatsukaze Shiki.

* * *

_**Gemstone**_

After walking a long distance, Takayama finally reached his destination. He entered the facility known as the Kihara Research Institute, a long and narrow building covered with platinum grey walls and dark blue windows, and was immediately met by a strange golden retriever at the entrance.

"Well now, I didn't expect to find you here again, boy."

If one were to hear it up close, then he would either be confused or startled. But nonetheless, words escaped from the dog's mouth as if it was a regular occurrence. It was indeed strange, but for a city so technologically advanced, a conclusion involving something like a voice transmitting device will eventually come up to whoever witnessed that phenomenon. Nobody around heard it except for the blonde-haired boy. But the boy treated it like a regular occurrence as well.

"Ahh… umm… what was it again… ? Kihara… Noukan?"

The golden retriever looked at him apathetically. "What brings you here today?"

With a look of annoyance, Takayama scratched the back of his head and replied. "I just need to ask that bastard a couple of questions."

The golden retriever, Kihara Noukan, watched as the boy leave his presence and ran further inside the facility, even though that boy might get caught by security once they find out that he was unauthorized to be here.

When Takayama reached the office that he had visited countless times before, a man was standing and facing the window towards the clear blue skies of Academy City. He had jet-black hair and glasses with a narrow frame. He wore a white lab coat under his expensive-looking business suit. He was handsome, but not outwardly unique. In general, he didn't have anything which made him especially stand out apart from his looks.

"Did something happen, Takayama?"

The boy walked towards the middle of the office where a low table with a glass top lie.

The man in front of him was known as Kihara Kiyosu, a researcher of the inner depths of an esper's brain and its relation to the laws of Quantum Mechanics. If one were to put it, he was someone who looked towards the brain's characteristics and made analysis of it based on the wide, open field of psychic powers which worked on the laws of Quantum Mechanics. And he was a power developer for Level 0's who have yet to display something that could be considered as a supernatural phenomenon, although Takayama Akito has yet to meet any of the other Level 0's.

"I want some answers. I figured you were the best choice for these kinds of stuff since you know so much about the brain. I may know some things about Personal Reality, but this is completely out of my league. Actually, I'm not even sure whether this is a problem with Personal Realities or not. It's like I'm trying to figure out whether it is a problem with the hardware or the software."

Kihara Kiyosu turned towards him and spoke in a lax voice. "Is this about your power? Cryokinesis was it?"

"You knew?"

"News travels fast, Takayama." He casually walked towards his desk facing the table and the young delinquent boy.

"How did you know?"

"I have my sources," replied Kiyosu as he sat down on his comfy chair made out of pitch-black leather.

Takayama looked annoyed but decided not to press that topic. "So? Do you know anything about this?"

"Not a clue," he gave a small shrug and a glimpse of mischievousness, which Takayama was already used to. "And I don't have any interest in pursuing it. You know me, Takayama. I focus on my work first and foremost. If you have any conditions or anything related to that, then go see a doctor, or even your school counselor."

The boy focused his glare at the researcher, who didn't seem to care. "You're lying. Someone such as you who've researched a thousand brains can easily notice if something is wrong."

"Well, how did you know it was a problem with the brain?" Kiyosu replied as he rested his elbows on the desk and leaned forward, all the while not losing any composure at all.

Pausing for a moment to gather his findings, Takayama spoke up clearly. "Because it always happens when I use my ability at a certain level, and if I take it beyond that, I might as well be dead."

In a slow a motion, Kihara Kiyosu adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Have you ever heard of cases where an esper uses his power too much and receives a negative impact in his body?"

Takayama remembered what Tatemiya Haruka said to him while he was in the hospital.

"You see, Takayama, it's not all that a curious case. I remember something similar with a boy who had the Thoughtography ability. It was the same. Ask the doctors and they will surely tell you the same thing."

When Takayama couldn't disprove anything Kihara Kiyosu said even though he desperately tried to in his head, the room was engulfed in silence. The boy couldn't think of anything else that can shed some light on this matter. All he could do now was wait or look for some other specialist.

"Hey, have you ever heard of a 'Gemstone'?" Kiyosu inquired with a hint of playfulness in his words.

Takayama got out of his silent state and shrugged. "No, what's that?"

Kihara Kiyosu smiled and nodded. "Well, before that, are you aware of the goal every researcher who has worked on since they started here in Academy City? Have you ever heard of the theory called 'SYSTEM'?"

Takayama looked as annoyed as he replied, "I've heard the term 'SYSTEM' before, but I don't know what it is."

"Not like I expected you to." Kiyosu let out a sigh of disappointment, and a cross-shaped vein popped up on Takayama's forehead in response. "SYSTEM refers to the final stage of an esper's growth."

The boy's eyes widened as he heard that.

"It refers to Level 6." Kihara Kiyosu smiled.

"L-Level 6?! But espers have only known to reach Level 5! How can Level 6 be possible?!"

Hearing the boy's confusion, Kiyosu couldn't help but smile and chuckle. "Yes, that's right. So far, we have reached the wall that is Level 5, and only seven were able to reach that stage. But whoever said that it ends there? As a Kihara, it is stupid to get trampled over by such norms. There is no other way but to crush that boring crap and prove that science go beyond such meaningless boundaries." Kiyosu found himself changing his tone to something aggressive. "That is why the Kiharas and the rest are trying to go beyond Level 5 and enter Level 6, God's calculation."

"And what does Level 6 have to do with this 'Gemstone' huh?!"

Kiyosu readjusted his glasses again before giving his reply. "Ahh... that's right. Gemstones are what you could call espers who did not obtain their powers from Academy City's Power Curriculum Program, or from any form of drugs and hypnosis. In other words, they are the espers who got their powers naturally. Whether they were born with that power from the start or their environment groomed them into getting it, we are unsure."

Takayama froze up when he heard that. "Wh-what... ?!"

That was like a gigantic blow to all the efforts he had done so far. For Takayama who had worked so hard to obtain a power and had lost some of his friends because of it that sounded like a cruel joke. "Unforgivable," sounded a deep, dark voice deep in his mind which sounded too familiar. Everything suddenly faded.

"Unforgivable," said a boy hooded in pitch-black. Rain and thunder seemed to materialize as the room grew dark. If an esper who trampled on the efforts made by Level 0's could be considered as a foul villain, what more was a Gemstone who did nothing to obtain his power? Somewhere in that darkness, a thin smile seemed to appear. A Gemstone was someone who received their power whether they liked it or not. Those without that power may have deserved it more than those who did. One could not help but protest at such an unfair conditions.

But suddenly, the sound of a mascot toy thumping against a cell phone screen echoed. It was a soft sound, but it had so much clarity that it overpowered the rain and thunder. It was like a water droplet falling down on a still pond and creating a ripple in its wake. Everything seemed to disappear, the rain pelting against the wet glass, the thunder reverberating against the broken concrete walls, everything except for that toy and that phone.

The scenery went back to normal in a blink of an eye.

"The Gemstones have a queer power. Each and every one of their abilities is difficult to understand when comparing it to the abilities found in Academy City. So, have you ever heard of the Number Seven Level 5?" Kihara Kiyosu spoke from his desk. "His name is Sogiita Gunha and he is a Gemstone. He is also a candidate for SYSTEM. A natural esper such as him can also overtake the artificial ones and become Level 6. Anyway, I just wanted to share this information with you since I have taken an interest in them lately. I might make them the focus of my research for a while."

Takayama scratched his wild blonde hair and didn't look interested at all. "If that's all you have to say, I'm leaving."

He put his hands in his pockets and headed for the door when Kiyosu suddenly called out.

"I forgot something. Since you are now able to display your power, I thought that you'd be suited for this." He reached out for something within the desk. "In any case, why don't you have a look at this for a while?"

Kihara Kiyosu placed a sheet of paper out front for Takayama to see. It had a long notice printed in tiny letters which were hard to read. Looking puzzled, the blonde-haired delinquent had to pick it up and stare at it closely.

Since it would take long for Takayama to finish reading every single detail in that paper Kiyosu went ahead and explained the point of it. "It's called the Physical Aptitude Remedial Tests, students call it PARTs for short. Anyway, it's a new form of method for crediting students in advancing their rank, and with the possibility of advancing their level as well. Students are given the choice to take part in it in order to obtain some points which will be counted in their grades in school. If you score high enough in that test, you will get an instant pass in your final grade for this term. The overall structure is simple, you will compete with other students in a series of physical tests, think of it like P.E. Anyhow, once you pass a test, you move on to the next, and your grades go up. If you fail, then you will have to wait another term in order to compete again. If researchers monitoring the tests see you have what it takes, then your level will go up, which in this case, Level 1, but that is only true for Level 0's who have some form of power." Kiyosu rubbed his temples and looked troubled. "Really, the guys at the department come up with the strangest things."

"Isn't this just a wrestling tournament for espers?! It's practically the same as that esper arena back at Daihaseisai!" The boy shouted at the top of his voice which made the researcher plug both of his ears. "No way in hell I'm doing that again, you bastard!"

* * *

_**Battle: Enclosed_Hangar_Arena – Conclusion.**_

"So she found out in the end…" Amatsukaze muttered as he sat idly on a bench inside the hangar.

"You're a Gemstone, aren't you? That power isn't wind manipulation but something different, though not completely unrelated. What you're doing isn't really generating wind and controlling where it will go. What you're doing is something like changing the air resistance around an object and at specific points," she had managed to say in the final moments of the battle. "_But that is something that completely disobeys the laws of science._.."

Amatsukaze remembered waiting patiently.

"The sizes, dimensions, and the weight are completely disregarded... It didn't matter if the wind was only a gentle breeze, or if the object weighed a ton. You only need to alter the resistance of whatever you want to be blown away and it will."

But he had replied scornfully, "No, no matter how much you try, you will never understand. A test subject like you can never truly understand what this power is, not even that coward called Jetstream."

And then he ended everything instantly. The girl's unconscious body lay on the floor not too far away. She was sound asleep, but the rest of the hangar was busted up and chaotic. Everything was scattered everywhere. The containers were smashed into pieces, the walls were filled with holes, and what lay scattered across the floor would have broken the heart of that girl were she to see it. The metal giant was completely destroyed. Its limbs were torn apart and sprawled around the floor.

"Now to bring her to that noisy girl." Amatsukaze got up from where he sat and approached the unconscious girl. "This should stop those buffoons from creating such a ruckus."

* * *

_**Battle: Grand_Stadium – Start!**_

Takayama Akito got escorted out of the building by two buffed up security guards wearing cheap suits.

He was now standing by a street in front of a fast food restaurant. On one hand was a plastic bag carrying two hamburger boxes for that curious girl at his dorm. On the other hand was the piece of paper Kihara Kiyosu gave him.

"Guess I have no choice huh... If I want to continue on living on this tight budget, I have to fight for it." He took one last look at it before folding it and putting it back in his pocket. "This time, I'm going to do it right. I'm going to become a Level 1."

It didn't take him long to walk through the streets under the sun, which was starting to set, and reach his dorm.

_I've found you...__  
_

"Huh... ? Kamijou?" Takayama found the spiky-haired boy lounging by the foot of the staircases near the entrance. "What are you doing here?"

"O-ohh... I was just taking a breather. Studying in a cramp room these days can be distracting." The boy named Kamijou Touma shrugged and tried to put a carefree smile.

Takayama frowned and sensed something off. "What's up? Something troubling you?"

Kamijou scratched the back of his head and leaned against the wall in order to look up towards the sky which was turning orange as the clouds drifted in the distance. "For a while now I feel like I've been walking around without a clue in the world. It feels like I've been missing a lot of things. I feel like I've met that girl from that night before, but I can't remember..."

_I've finally found you..._

"I think I understand what you mean. All these people have been pushing things on me non-stop." Takayama did the same as the plastic bag rustled in his hands. "But since I'm no longer alone, I just have to suck it up. I'll just hear complaints from _her _if I don't."

Suddenly, a disturbing presence stopped its steady advance from a fair distance away from the two.

"I've finally found you." A figure spoke in a raspy voice.

It did not take long for the two to realize that they were being watched.

"Who are you?!" Kamijou faced the stranger looming under the dying sun at the end of the path leading to the street. He couldn't quite clearly see that stranger's face because of the long, grey hair hanging over his face. His shadow seemed to meld with his black figure, or the other way around.

"At last, you pathetic runt, I finally get my chance at getting rid of you."

As the sunlight passed through the dark face hidden underneath that hair Kamijou seemed to have an idea who this person really was.

"Hey, wait. I remember you." Kamijou gritted his teeth. "You're that old guy who tried to mess with this city's peace a week ago. Didn't the Anglican Church already take you in?!"

Something like a smirk crept up on the face of that person known as Hypnos. "I didn't let myself get caught unlike those children of the cabal."

Kamijou seemed to get annoyed as he clenched his fist. "Alright, you're after Index aren't you? Well come on then! I'll beat you up just like how I did back then!"

"I'm sure you haven't noticed it, Kamijou Touma."

Kamijou gave him a curious look as soon as he heard that, while Takayama just looked really confused at what was going on.

"I have been the only one in control of that spell which affected Academy City. But did you know what the range of that spell was? Did your allies from Necessarius ever tell you?"

Kamijou recalled it. He was inside Academy City's District 7 the entire time. The overall situation was a massive traffic caused by some drivers losing their consciousness and undergoing a hypnotic state, his classmate, an agent of Necessarius, told him. The area under its effect was huge. It would have taken a huge amount of mana to pull it off. No normal magician was capable of that even within the ranks of Necessarius.

"Please do not look down on me because of your frivolous victory during that time. I was weakened because I had to carry out that spell at such a big area."

Takayama stepped forward. "I don't really get what's going on, but can you quit bothering us? I know some people at Judgment so you'll think twice if you know what's good for you."

The man clicked his tongue. "I only came here to get my revenge on Imagine Breaker. I don't care for a stupid boy like you."

"What was that, asshole?! You tryin' to pick a fight or what?!"

"D-don't get too agitated, Takayama."

"Damn it, Kamijou. I still can't completely stand espers acting high and mighty even after fighting that Nemesis woman, but I also don't like how this guy thinks he's some kind of king!"

The man chuckled to himself arrogantly, but then something caught his attention. It was the black boxes being held inside a plastic bag by that blonde-haired boy's hand. His eyes widened and it seemed like he was getting a stroke. "Tho-those are the grimoires! Where did you find them?!" He screamed in a disturbed voice with no idea that those were just cheap cheeseburgers of a famous chain store found everywhere in the city. Takayama and Kamijou nearly jumped when they heard his voice.

And then a sudden change occurred. Takayama fell to the ground and let go of the plastic bag he was holding, and Kamijou nearly fell as well, but he reflexively touched his head with his right hand.

"Wh-what happened?!" Kamijou shouted out loud and looked towards his fallen friend. He felt his head ache from the sudden occurrence.

In the next second, a dark smudge-like object appeared from the estranged man's shadow, raced through the walkway, and snatched the plastic bag.

Kamijou went over where the blonde-haired delinquent was lying and touched his head with his right hand. Takayama awakened in an instant and looked around curiously.

"I now have the grimoires!" Hypnos raised the bag holding the cheeseburgers with his skinny hand. A weary expression appeared on the two boy's faces due to the awkward scene. An uncontrollable laughter escaped his lips as his body shook heavily. "Hahahaha! Wonderful! This is absolutely wonderful! With these grimoires, I have all the power I need to perfect that ceremony! Perhaps I should thank you, blonde-haired boy. You just allowed me to get my hands on the very things I need! But I still have to get my revenge on you, Imagine Breaker. So, if you don't want any harm to befall on this city, come to the West District Grand Stadium before the sun sets. And if you call any of your Necessarius friends, then you'll find out that this city will have a bleak future ahead."

The magician disappeared in an instant and left the two boys staring dumbfounded at the space where he had been.

But there was only one thing that was on Takayama Akito's mind throughout all this.

"Give me back my damn burgers, you burger thief!"

* * *

**END AN:**

**And let the mayhem begin! Damn, I love battles! First off, the initial plan for this arc will be a separate story line for the current main characters: Shokuhou Misaki, Kamijou Touma, Takayama Akito, and Tatemiya Haruka. This may change depending on which part of the story though. Focusing on so many characters is quite hard, but I really enjoy exploring their field of vision. Next is the Level 5's. Though not completely centered around them specifically, I will try to show how much the other espers of Academy City regard them, and with Shokuhou Misaki as the representative.**

**Lastly, I will end this chapter with the beginning of a short magic-related conflict because I felt that I have left a lot of things out, although I hope that this will be a welcome detour for you all.**

**Okay, I think I covered everything, but just in case, please leave a review and some feedback! Thank you!**


	26. Mental Contradiction: Unusual

**Chapter 26 – Mental_Contradiction: Unusual**

* * *

_**Declined**_

It was a laborious task. Nonetheless, people continued to surge inside a bakery that sold a variety of stuff including delicious pastries. The space was cramped and it was hard to move without bumping into someone. The cause for this was likely the special limited time promotion the store was doing.

"Hurry, Aki-san! The croquettes are going to be sold out! G-gyaah! Look at that line!"

"Wait up, Meme-chan! Squeezing through this people will turn me into some kind flat bread! Help me, Saki-san!"

"You two are energetic as ever. It's just some simple bread, you know."

The voices continued to fill the shop. There were three high school girls fighting a life or death battle, but that was not particularly important.

Among those people was Shokuhou Misaki.

"Are we done? I don't have any reason to wait for you, but I will since I'm such a kind person." She rested her hand, which was covered in a graceful white silk glove, on the hips of her winter uniform. On her other hand was a plastic bag holding a medium-sized box with "Heaven's Food" written on top of it in large, curvy letters. She accomplished her task with no problems thanks to her manipulating the minds of the people around her.

"Th-that's okay. You can go on if you really want to. I don't mean to trouble you with this." Saten Ruiko said unsure without turning away as she struggled to pick which kind of cake she was going to buy from the ones near the counter.

Shokuhou rolled her eyes to the side and puffed a tiny breath of exhaustion. Her hips moved to the right as she thought for a moment before she gave her annoyed reply. "Well then, Saten-san, it has been a pleasure. Thank you for pointing the way."

Reaching for a remote inside her shiny shoulder bag and then pointing it towards the sea of unknown people, Shokuhou let out a cheerful smile as she bid farewell, while the Level 0 still continued with her dilemma. An unnatural changed occurred, and the crowds suddenly formed a path where Shokuhou briskly walked through.

When she stepped outside, however, a voice suddenly acknowledged her presence.

"Are you alright, Queen? I didn't mean to interrupt your leisure activities, but having someone from outside our social circle accompany you could have been dangerous, so I decided to tail you for a while," said a clique member who just appeared from the side of the shop like a fish surfacing from the depths of the sea. Her winter uniform was also from Tokiwadai Middle School.

Without looking towards her, the golden-haired girl replied nonchalantly despite the sudden encounter. "I see you have a lot of free time on your hands." This wasn't all that uncommon. The probability of being spotted by her clique inside District 7 was not small at all. In this district, her influence was the strongest.

"It's surprising that you have such unexpected friends, Queen. Lately, even Yuzuki Megumi-san has been very close to you. I am indeed envious."

In reality, Shokuhou Misaki was not that kind of girl. It might have been because she was a Level 5. It might have been because she had the strongest mental power that there was a void between her and other people. It was difficult to see someone who was truly close to her.

"You know, Quee- Shokuhou-san, I could also, if it's not too much trouble, perhaps we could also wa-"

"I think you should be going now."

"But, Shokuhou-san!"

"Leave."

That was the end of their conversation.

A remote suddenly appeared from Shokuhou Misaki's hand. She had pulled it out without anyone noticing. In the entire conversation, Shokuhou had talked without even facing that girl. On that thought, she might not even have known who she was speaking to. Her name, identity, affiliation was irrelevant. She was just a clique member.

She walked towards the direction of her dorm which was outside the School Garden. The cake in her hand was enough to supply her needs, and she had no more motivation to buy anything else. The urban jungle of Academy City slowly engulfed her. Everywhere around her she was surrounded by urban noise. Everywhere people with preoccupied expressions were going in and out, from south to north and other directions. The vast expanse of the street was polluted by numerous people. They moved in different, unpredictable paces. You would be dragged away if you were careless. From a different perspective, this disorder was like a pleasant disturbance to anyone who was used to the busy atmosphere of Academy City. Shokuhou of course was easily not affected by this. With one gloved hand on her hip, she stood calmly in the middle of it all as if she was the one who dictated the flow.

"Now then..." She mumbled to herself. It was high time she decided on what should do from now on. She was not lost. She was simply deciding on the most appropriate route she should take.

The hundreds of voices all spoke at the same time. They molded together to create something utterly distorted. If you were to listen to that collection you will not be able to make out a single coherent voice. And yet one distinguished itself from the rest.

"Excuse me, Shokuhou Misaki-san."

The hundreds of voices seemed to have been drowned out for a moment as this voice appeared. All the noise lost their strength for this polite voice which came out of nowhere.

As if awakened from a trance, Shokuhou abruptly turned towards the source of this voice and found a mature-looking girl who looked troubled over the little boy she was holding hands with. Another girl slightly younger and shorter than the other one stood by her while being distracted by her phone.

The eldest one was wearing a blue jumper skirt over a plain white dress not too different from a uniform of a girl's private high school. Her brown hair was tied up in a long pony-tail. She looked like the mature older sister type. The little boy looked like an elementary school student. He wore a large backpack over his back and seemed to be unaware of the situation. And the other girl, the one who looked like she was bored out of her mind, had the same brown hair as the other but was wearing its sides in two short pig-tails while the rest of her hair fell short above her shoulders. She was wearing a loose jacket, a very short miniskirt, and black and white striped stockings. She was probably the same age as Shokuhou. The three of them looked like typical siblings. But Shokuhou knew better than that.

She gingerly felt one of the dozens of remotes inside her shoulder bag in a casual manner as she eyed them. The three siblings among the crowd didn't seem to notice her do this action. They may have already known the power of the Level 5 Mental Out and had prepared a countermeasure ahead of time. A countermeasure for a Level 5 seemed unheard of, but it was indeed possible.

"Please hear us out, Shokuhou-san," politely asked the mature one. Her worried expression seemed directed more towards the possibility of the boy getting a toothache from chewing too much of his candy rather than the presence of the Level 5.

Shokuhou silently thought. Were they the ones after her? In the first place, what did they want from her, one of the seven Level 5's? What motivation did they have for doing so? In fact, was it only her? Were they targeting all of the Level 5's? To go against a Level 5 requires a lot of manpower so it was difficult to pull off. But there were groups who had done that in the past. For instance, Deadlock had tried once but failed. Were they trying follow on that group's footsteps?

"It is frustrating to be looked down upon by people who can only think of violence. Is your kind full of such low life ability?" The Level 5 calmly smiled and pointed a small refrigerator remote at them but not actually pressing any buttons yet. Only the mature one seemed concerned with this as she made a tiny squeaky cry, but she took a deep breath and calmed down in the end.

"I'm really sorry to bother you. I know you've been having a rough time these couple of days, but please forget that for now. We only wish to discuss something. Please cooperate with us if you want to see Yuzuki Megumi-san unharmed."

"..."

"Umm... did you not hear me? Your friend is currently in danger."

"Hey, it seems you have misunderstood me." The Level 5 suddenly spoke up from her silent state and twirled her remote around her fingers like a pen. "We are not as close as you think."

"Ohh... is that so? Perhaps this will not work out then."

"But..." The remote she had been toying with up until now was pointed towards the eldest of the three. "I don't like that attitude of yours one bit. If you think you can do anything as you please here in Academy City, then your reasoning ability is completely deluded. I won't allow you to harm anyone further. And if I happen upon that insensitive girl, then I'll save her too. But don't mistake that for kindness, I simply do not want my clique members having trouble because of me."

"I see. Perhaps I really was mistaken about you. But, you will not achieve anything by putting us under your control right now. It will be in your best interest to follow our request and meet up at a rendezvous point we have decided on."

Shokuhou grinned as she heard that. Her sparkling eyes seemed to shimmer even more. "Oh? What does it matter? I will get all the information in the end if I just seize your minds right now, so why do I have to play your little game? Your reason better be a valid one because my patience is short."

The mature one of those three seemed a bit more serious than before as she focused all her attention on the Queen of Tokiwadai. "Shokuhou-san, you may be a Level 5, but we are Gemstones."

* * *

_**Judgment_Situation_No._2.**_

A young man wearing a brown flat hat like those from old private detective shows you see on TV entered a certain Judgment branch office. His expression was a sleepy one, yet he held much power and command there. His looks were often misjudged, but Hajime Kaiji was still the chief of this Judgment branch. He held a bundle of papers in one arm and a can of green tea in his hand. His uniform consisted of a not too uncommon blazer and other parts of a private high school's uniform.

The energetic Tatemiya Haruka stood up. "Hello, Hajime-san! How's your day?"

"Hello." Hajime nodded.

Mifune Hisako greeted him as well and returned to her duties.

Hajime Kaiji strode across the room towards his corner. He moved his sleepy eyes between the two and then down on the papers he had laid on his desk. Somehow, he felt the Judgment armband he wore on top of his blazer. Judgment was meant to protect the peace and sanctity of Academy City. It was enough to just stop conflicts and follow the usual routine, but slowly, he accumulated doubts on that. He may not be Anti-Skill, but there were times when just being Judgment wasn't enough. There were depths that were unreachable by Judgment's justice alone. Somehow, he was now able to notice this darkness which had control over Academy City on a fundamental level. But still, he will at least try. Justice was still an important gear to keep that peaceful Academy City he dreamed of from grinding to a halt. That's why he will dive into the depths into that darkness. "I have a proposition to make. Could you all please come here for a second?"

The members of his branch noticed his call and came to his desk with a hint of curiosity.

"Do you remember the case with the Black Wolves?"

Tatemiya gave a surprised look. "What about the Black Wolves, Hajime-san?"

"Well, I've been investigating on my own and found out several facts which coincided with what happened with them."

Hisako put her hands on her hips and looked impressed. "Well you're certainly energetic. It's rare to see you get worked up on your own. Usually you just spend your free time watching cooking shows."

"I have been bothered by what Takayama Akito-kun said. I don't think what I did that time was enough, and it seemed that I was partly responsible since I let it slide without going over the details thoroughly. Well, moving on, I noticed that there was something that happened at the same time the Skill-Out group disbanded. We received a report from Anti-Skill on that night, but I called Takayama-kun to confirm. As you may already know, the members consisted of Katagiri Rina, Kurogami Enma, and if we include Takayama Akito, that makes three. Currently, the two, from what we assume, are imprisoned inside the Reformatory along with an unknown third person. Katagira-san's sister has also been reported to have taken part in their activities, but she is now being held under protective custody due to her being a Child Error."

"'From what we assume'?" Hisako raised a confused brow. "Isn't that already a given fact?"

Hajime slowly shook his head."I am highly doubtful of that being the case."

"So what do you think is the truth, Hajime-san?" Tatemiya raised a question from Hajime's side. She had been very curious about this mystery for quite some time now.

The Judgment branch chief put his elbows on his desk and tied his fingers together in a narrow bridge in front of his face. "They were supposedly to have been captured by Anti-Skill and have stopped coming to school altogether, but there was another student who disappeared at the same time. I found this after investigating the schools they go to. Katagiri Rina goes to the same school as Tatemiya-kun, as a third-year, and this other student who disappeared also went to the same school. His disappearance coincided with the event. His name is Mochizuki Yoshiya, a first-year student."

"Mochizuki... Yoshiya? I don't think I've ever heard of him." Tatemiya sadly shook her head.

"I've confirmed this with Takayama-kun. He is his acquaintance and was involved with this incident as well. He was supposedly last seen at the Black Wolves' hideout."

"This is quite the mess we got," Hisako said as she let out a troubled look. "We've never really got any detailed information from Anti-Skill so a lot of loose threads were left out. I remembered they were being awfully rude and aggressive. Normally, they would cooperate with us whenever they get chance, but that night they were acting oddly. So, did you take a full account from Takayama-kun?"

"Yes, he said that, after shaking off Anti-Skill, he was caught by Mochizuki-san who was also participating in the chase alongside another acquaintance, but he escaped and met up with the rest of his members back at their base. Afterwards, there was infighting between Kurogami and the others, and that is when Kurogami displayed his Level Upper ability. Mochizuki-san appeared then to help Takayama-kun."

"How did he know where the hideout was?"

"He knew by extracting information about their hideout on Takayama-kun's music player using his Psychometry ability. That's what Takayama-kun thought as he only learnt that Mochizuki Yoshiya got his Psychometry before he escaped from his grasp."

"So Enma was a Level Upper user, huh."

"But what happened during their fight?" Tatemiya raised another question. "That point seems to be the most devoid of facts."

"Well," Hajime looked troubled for the first time. The cool atmosphere of the office pierced his skin. "They found that they were no match for Kurogami Enma's Level Upper ability, so all of them being dead would be the likely conclusion, but it wasn't. It seemed that even Takayama-kun couldn't figure out what exactly happened since he blacked out."

"That is quite strange," Hisako commented. "So when Anti-Skill got there, they were all just unconscious, including Enma? That doesn't make sense at all. I don't understand how Anti-Skill would've captured Enma so easily and leave out Takayama-kun in the process. He would have at least escaped or even killed Anti-Skill if his level was strong enough. Also, we've heard that Takayama-kun was found by a worker cleaning up the wreckage the day after and was sent to the hospital. That also doesn't add up. Anti-Skill should've taken him in as well."

Haruka grew quiet and imagined that blonde-haired boy being handcuffed and thrown into the back of Anti-Skill's wagon while suffering from his injuries.

"This case was strange from the very beginning," Hajime said in a quiet voice. "It's as if there's someone manipulating the information. No, it may not only be the information, maybe Anti-Skill as well. I know it sounds outrageous, but I have a feeling it is just that strange. This may be overstepping our bounds, but I'd like us to look into this further. This is not an order. You are free to decline if you wish. I will take full responsibility for anything that happens, so please lend me your help."

"You sure have gotten worked up, Hajime. Did something good happen?" Hisako smiled and didn't looked troubled by the dangerous proposal.

Haruka put a fist on one hand and grinned. Her amber-colored eyes looked like they were about to be set ablaze. "I'm getting real fired up actually. You said that Mochizuki Yoshiya had someone with him at the time, didn't you? How about we ask that person some questions?"

* * *

_**Planning**_

Shokuhou Misaki arrived at the designated location after leaving the cake at her dorm. She was somehow able to avoid the detection of her dorm mistress. Even though she was a Level 5, Tokiwadai's strict care for her was enough to give her a tremendous headache. Now she was sweating a bit after running back and forth, and seeing that carefree expression from that mature girl who looks like an older sister didn't help relieve her of her stress.

"You're alone? What happened to those siblings of yours?"

"Siblings?" The mature girl tilted her head as if hearing a word for the first time and not knowing its meaning.

"You mean you weren't related?"

"Manabe-san and Hiro-kun went back already. Shall we get going?"

Shokuhou followed the girl around without putting her under control. She was annoyed that the girl was trying to throw her off by looping around long, exaggerated paths and crooked alleys. The sun began to set, and shadows of large skyscrapers loomed over them. They were still inside District 7, but not an area that Shokuhou knew of. It took them quite some time to reach a wide building full of blue tinted windows and high steel fences wrapped with barbed wires on top. Shokuhou had pulled out a TV remote by then and was ready to react to whatever that could happen. If Yuzuki Megumi was indeed here, then she would go all out using all the powers of Mental Out. In fact, she had already put some people under her control and had them tail her from the very beginning. They would rush in if Shokuhou was not out when the set time expires.

They entered the lobby area with the mature girl leading the way and taking care of the security procedures. The people greeted her as they walked forward. It looked like a research facility based on the scientists carrying documents and entering meeting rooms, but there were also people wearing casual clothes walking around. Those people were the oddest sight. They were out of place to say the least, because they looked at home here. They were young and of varying ages. Some looked like they attended high school and some were so young that it looked inappropriate for them to be here, but still, they ran through the halls with a smile on their faces. Shokuhou came up with a conclusion after seeing the lack of disorder here.

And then an annoyed voice suddenly called out just as they entered a room.

"I really dislike the fact that we would have to share the same secret together."

It was someone she knew. That long skirt which covers all of her legs, the bare skin of the navel being exposed by a short sailor outfit, the forehead being exposed on top of a foxy-looking face, all of those belonged to a girl who worked in the deepest depths of Academy City. This was definitely Kumokawa Seria, a suspicious upperclassman of that certain Level 0.

Shokuhou retracted the remote to her bag. "You being here confirms my suspicions. This is a Gemstone institute isn't it? Director Kaizumi Tsugutoshi must have constructed it to put all the Gemstones in one place and raised high-level security to protect it from being made public since even I don't know about it. But I imagine you had a hand at this, after all, you are his brain."

"Yes, yes, yes, that is correct, how observant. This is not public knowledge and hardly any rumor about it exists."

As Kumokawa went deeper in the room which looked like a lounging area and sat at one of the sofas, the mature Gemstone girl took a sit a bit farther away to listen to their conversation. She may been ordered to do so in order to act as some sort of bodyguard, which made Shokuhou wonder what kind of power she possessed. As for Shokuhou herself, she sat on another sofa across Kumokawa.

"Is that loud guy here as well?"

"I'm not sure if he is inside the building at this very moment. He just freely comes and goes whenever he wants after all. Since hiding this little bit of info from you is pointless, I might as well tell you that this whole facility is more like a boarding home than anything else. A section of it is cut off and made to be like a regular dormitory. But we are more concerned of the other ones than him, so only he can go out with no problems."

"How many Gemstones are there in here?"

"There are about 70. You could imagine how much a handful they are. Rumor has it that the Level 5's are crazy, but then these espers are not too far off."

Shokuhou frowned and looked impatient. "So what exactly is going on? Why are people suddenly giving me trouble? Now even that annoying girl is in the pits."

Kumokawa crossed her legs and checked her phone for a moment. "You are already aware that we brought most of the Gemstones from various parts of the world here in Academy City not too long ago using the Sisters help in order to prevent other people from experimenting on them. But recently, there was a Gemstone that became too much of a troublemaker and fled the facility. We don't know the reason for this however. We were only able to find out that he is now working together with some group."

"And this group is after me?"

"Aren't you flattered that you get so many fans now? Well, joking aside, I think they are after something, but not exactly you. They are after something that is related to the power called Mental Out."

The golden-haired girl didn't seem to believe her. "Are you saying that they are not after me but my power?" She did not know what that actually meant. Her power was directly connected to her, and they were inseparable. Her power was not some kind of toy block which could be disjointed from her and played with.

Kumokawa rested her elbow on the arm rest and placed her cheek on her palm. "Did you not notice that they were chasing the ones you were controlling, and not you. It is possible that they are after that essence which you leave on people when they are in a trance. Perhaps they have an esper which could track irregularities in people's minds? Well, that is only a possibility. But their last action, the abduction of Yuzuki Megumi was something that went out of their scope. That was likely due to that troublemaker's independent actions."

"So she got captured by one of your Gemstones."

"We would like to retrieve Amatsukaze-kun as soon as possible, before anything unnecessary leaks out."

Shokuhou was now sitting upright with clenched fists. "Can we act as soon as possible? It's not like I'm worried about that girl, but I would like to bring this matter to a close as soon as possible."

Kumokawa noticed her seriousness and calmly smiled. "We should wait until that loud one arrives. He is a wild factor that could cause irregularities on a large scale so it's best to know what he is up to before we move. In the meantime, why don't I show you around?"

* * *

**END AN:**

**Hello there! Soul has arrived to submit this late chapter!**

**This chapter was not originally what I wanted to submit. It was originally supposed to be about that clash inside a sports stadium, but a lot of stuff happened when I finished writing 50% of it, and I decided to put that away for now. I was depressed I guess? I reached the point where I didn't feel like doing anything for a while. Ahh... but enough of that. I succeeded in updating this again. I'm trying to quicken the pace so I jumped straight to Shokuhou Misaki's scenario. Although, after analyzing the previous chapters, I must say that they**** were slow(pacing wise), maybe too slow. What do you think? **

**Okay, this chapter marks the start of the slight deviation from the original canon timeline. The changes I made are the number of Gemstones, and this new facility. I am excited to include Kumokawa Seria on this. Now she is not just someone who appears in a cameo. This widens the world for Shokuhou Misaki's story greatly. I will probably deviate more in the future so please expect that!**

**As for that original chapter 16, I might just insert that into Attractor Field along with the other drafts I have written for it. That's it for now!**

**EOF.**


	27. Mental Contradiction: Inflluence

**Chapter 27 - Mental_Contradiction: Influence**

* * *

**_Reason_**

"Hiro-kun, Hiro-kun, that weird lady is finally here. Sarah-nee probably led her here to talk with Kumokawa-nee."

"Mmm... I'm sleepy. Can we continue this tomorrow?"

"Hiro-kun! Hiro-kun! Hiro-kuuuun! This is no time to be sleeping! What if that lady tries to seduce all the hunks here! Have you seen the size of those breasts?! And to top it off, she is the Level 5 Mental Out!"

The automatic door suddenly opened without being knocked on and a small girl barged inside with the speed of a race car. Hiro-kun was already in bed by that time because it was already nearing the time for young boys like him to go to sleep. This girl, however, went straight at him like a homing missile and began shaking him up senselessly.

"You guys are so damn noisy. If you don't want to experience hell, then shut your mouths." shouted a girl crouching and hugging her knees in the distant corner of the room. Her dead-looking eyes stared straight into the phone that was surfing through online message boards and forums. She was the girl who had accompanied the one regarded as the big sister among the Gemstones, Sarah.

"Manabe, you're here again! This isn't your room, remember?! Stop going to the boys' room!"

"I'm trying to sleep here..." The young boy rubbed his eyes after seeing the blistering light through the doorway. "If only I was at home, I would have been dreaming right about now. But Mama is counting on me to enter a prestigious school here, so I have to do my best. Please let me sleep already!"

"You heard him, Yuki," said the rude and anti-social Manabe.

"Fine! I'll recruit other people to help me in my cause then. I'll definitely not lose to that Mental Out when it comes to feminine wiles!"

Noticing the loud commotion within the room, a middle-aged woman wearing glasses stormed in and gave the two girls a good blow to their heads while the young boy named Hiro just went back to his sleep. That woman, who was also their dorm manager, was already used to the troublesome routine of watching over these kids.

Kumokawa Seria and Shokuhou Misaki strode across the floor of the hall not too far away.

"As you can see, this wing is reserved for the boys," Kumokawa explained. "H-hey, where are you going?!"

"I want to rest, so I'm heading towards the cafeteria to get something to eat. In the first place, I absolutely detest you even if we are on a truce."

After observing the Gemstones for a while, Shokuhou decided that it was time to take a quick rest before the upcoming operation.

Gemstones were natural occurring espers that have appeared throughout the world without the use of Academy City's Power Curriculum Program, although most of the information about them still remained a rumor to everyone. She had heard from her information network that they were brought here by the powerful man known as Kaizumi Tsugutoshi, a member of the famous Board of Directors who managed everything that goes on within this city. At first, she thought they were being held here against their will, like what you see in sci-fi movies, but after watching their joyful routines, it seemed that she was wrong. They even looked happier than her during her early days at that certain research facility before she became a Level 5. The Gemstones were heavily protected here. Everything was arranged so that they did not have a hard time living inside Academy City while research was conducted on them, Director Kaizumi Tsugutoshi made sure of all of that. Whatever his reason was, it prevented institutions around the world from mass-producing espers by getting data on the Gemstones.

That left a question in her mind.

If Gemstones were quietly living here, then what was the reason for Amatsukaze Shiki's irregular actions?

There was a saying that the Level 5's were a bunch of crazy people (apart from herself apparently), so was it the same for this person?

All of that was an important factor to consider, but for now, she will leave the brain work until she's done with recuperation.

She pushed out all those thoughts away for the moment and entered the cafeteria which was open 24 hours to serve scientists pulling out all-nighters. The space was filled with people wearing lab coats and Gemstones who were hungry, but mostly those people wearing lab coats. It was a place where student and teacher met. Nobody paid her much attention as she bought some elegant food with a piece of cake for desert since she was an outsider.

But one thing stood out the most there.

"ALRIGHT, NEXT!"

"N-nwwooohh! I lost, damn it!"

A group full of boys were having some kind of eating competition at the distant corner, and the one currently winning was that loud one wearing a white headband and a rising sun T-shirt.

With a flat look, Shokuhou turned towards the opposite direction away from the loud group that was having fun filling their bellies for no good reason.

"Oh, so he was here. Sogiita really does what he wants." Kumokawa caught up not long after and followed her towards a table.

"So how is Kamijou-kun doing lately? You're his upperclassman so you probably tail from the shadows on a daily basis, don't you?" Shokuhou said with one eye out as she took a sip from her drink.

"Hey! What do you take me for, some kind of creepy stalker who likes the smell of used gym clothes?! And you're acting too laid back for someone whose friend is in danger."

"Really, each and every one of you thinks I'm some kind mushy girl who always acts for the sake of friendship."

The beauty senpai from that certain school shrugged. "If it's not that, then what is it? I know you have this motto of taking care of those people under your control, but this seems a bit different from the usual you."

"I made a promise, that's all."

"A promise?"

Kumokawa raised another question, but Shokuhou didn't seem interested in continuing any further.

"Anyway, that unlucky boy still seems to be as clueless of as ever, not that I can blame him, but lately, he's been really bothered by the fact that he's been acting out the previous Kamijou-kun's life and lying to everybody. Anyway, what about you? You're pretty much on the same boat as me, but why the hell don't you just come up to him and rub those things around his arms?! And don't give me that 'you're paths won't cross anymore'-crap! You could just give up all reason and wear a super erotic Love Angel Bunny Maid costume in front of him!"

"I honestly think you've lost your mind."

Shokuhou flicked a tiny bit of cream with her spoon at that ranting high schooler.

"So anyway, since we've confirmed Sogiita Gunha's location, we can finally get down to business while that boy's busy." Kumokawa snatched a strawberry from the plate Shokuhou was eating from. "The next steps we should do is to get your clique member out of there, contain Amatsukaze-kun, and then deal with that group he's working with. So for that, we need a special task force that could go up against a Gemstone accompanied with several more espers. Dealing with the aftermath is important as well, but we need to think of how we are going to do this first. If possible, I don't want to make a big stir in Academy City."

_She's meticulous as always. If you were to round up all the incidents that have and have yet to occur in the darkness, you would find her name in a handful of unrecorded documents, although those documents do not exist, not for the public anyway. But I have no interest in soaking myself even further with the repulsive scent of Academy City's inner nature. I'm content with just being the Number Five. _Shokuhou lazily yet skilfully thought of important factors to consider. "Anti-Skill is out of the question obviously. We should gather some people that-"

"What's this about a fight that's about to break out and will determine the fate of Academy City's very existence?!"

A boy wearing a white headband and a rising sun shirt suddenly pulled their attention in like a giant black hole sucking in all the planets in a galaxy.

This sudden intrusion derailed their thoughts for a moment.

Their faces went stiff when they saw Sogiita Gunha, Academy City's troublesome Number Seven, imposing in on their delicate discussion with a triumphant look.

_This is the complete opposite of what I wanted to happen!_ Kumokawa thought as she placed a palm over her forehead. As the brains of Director Kaizumi Tsugutoshi, her methods relied more on precise and intricate planning, therefore, that Level 5 who seems to be the most unpredictable one of them all was a clear red flag in her scheming. That was the reason why she wanted him monitored as much as possible.

"So! If this is about that guy who ran away, then let me in on it! I'll definitely set him on the right path with some guts!" Sogiita Gunha proclaimed loudly with his arms crossed.

Kumokawa's face went pale, but the Level 5 who equalled her when it came to the brain department seemed to have a different idea.

"Alright, we'll brief you in on everything, and just so you know, a damsel in distress is involved, with a couple of bad guys mixed in." A bewitching smile appeared on Shokuhou Misaki's expression.

("Oi! Do you know what you're doing?! If some random event happens in the process, this could turn out real badly! Do you really want to get him involved?!")

("It's fine this way. He specializes in making unreasonably big disturbances, so just let him do as he please and we'll be able to move freely behind the scenes. We need a strong direct combat specialist anyway so we don't exactly have any choice.")

("I guess you're right. A Gemstone's power works on different laws. There's no telling exactly what their limits are, so only another Unpredictable Gemstone could hold down another effectively. But we really need to act quickly before things get out of hand. A distraction is good, but if it stirs up some organization hiding in the darkness to take action, just the two of us won't be able to solve everything.")

They decided on a course of action while the boy who was all about guts was busy looking pumped up. In the end, this might turn out to be more chaotic than what they expected.

The cafeteria door swung open and a small girl appeared, yelling in a cute voice. "Hey you, Mental Out! I challenge you to a duel to see who is sexier so you better ready that over-sized chest of yours!"

Another girl was behind her and was tapping away on her phone's screen with an uninterested look. "You're blocking the entrance, Yuki. I came to get a juice box so don't expect anything from me."

The dorm manager stepped in with a bulging vein on her forehead. The two troublemaker girls felt a shocking sensation run through their spine as the devil manager form hell suddenly appeared behind them and landed a blow on their heads.

With this, the party was decided. it may be due to Shokuhou's confidence in her abilities, but everything was done haphazardly.

The scene was replaced with the cluttered space of Academy City's night time scenery.

"Remind me again why I'm out here on the frontlines where the mortality rates drop below what could be considered as sane?"

The one who said that with a breathless voice was Kumokawa Seria. She was running in the dark streets of Academy City as if she was in some spy action thriller. Her long skirt fluttered restlessly. Despite being an intelligence specialist, she was actually quite athletic.

"I'm not just going to let you sit on the sidelines while I do all the dirty work!" Shokuhou Misaki shouted out in front. The streetlights hovered over them as they passed through.

"Don't worry, Kumokawa-san. I'm here if anything happens. There's also Sogiita-kun who seems to be especially energetic tonight," said in a well mannered voice by a girl whose name seemed to be Sarah.

"This is the worst..."

"Why am I accompanying Mental Out of all people?"'

Two girls voiced their complaints as they unwillingly followed from behind after taking the brunt of the attack from the dorm manager. They were named Manabe and Yuki.

This party made up the special rescue squad that will take part in this suspenseful rescue mission of the night. The three Gemstone girls Manabe, Yuki, and Sarah from the institute, Sogiita Gunha, Kumokawa Seria, and Shokuhou Misaki. It was a split second decision, but Kumokawa decided on the Gemstone girls for a reason, Shokuhou was certain of this. That intelligent woman who was working with such an influential person wouldn't just make a careless mistake of getting amateurs involved.

Kumokawa Seria had gathered information on Amatsukaze Shiki's whereabouts by exploiting the various security cameras and other sensors all around Academy City. But only doing this will take up a lot time, so it came down to Shokuhou Misaki's knowledge.

The starting point they arrived at was Yuzuki Megumi's rented space in District 9. Shokuhou Misaki deduced that much. Then it came to Kumokawa Seria's resources as the brain of one of the most influential people in Academy City. She had access to networks all around Academy City. She only needed to call someone under her direct orders and she would get the information she needed. She could get surveillance footages by doing this. They followed the traces left behind by Amatsukaze Shiki in the security cameras installed everywhere. This was the city which surpassed every other city in the world in terms of technology after all.

"Any ideas where we're headed?" Gunha asked from the front of the group.

"It's hard to get a good of view of the surroundings because of all the obstructions. We're in the area with a lot of businesses, so many buildings are blocking the cameras, but I know that we're very close. Just turn right up ahead and we should see that building Amatsukaze entered," Kumokawa replied. "Let me remind you again that Level 5's are extremely valuable to Academy City. If two are gathering together and are acting out in the open at the same time, it might alert anyone who is out in the prowl right now. Academy City's higher ups might view it as a rebellion, so be careful."

Shokuhou and Gunha exchanged quick glances but kept quiet in the end.

There were only seven of these strong espers in the whole world. They were irreplaceable fine jewels that cannot just be used and then thrown away like disposable goods. Losing one would mean a disaster for Academy City. They were the center of attention of many countless research after all. Those who were not able to achieve Level 5, the remaining 2 million of Academy City's student population, also view them as role models to be followed.

"What _is _you're reason for being here, Sogiita-kun?" The big sister Gemstone, Sarah spoke up in a timid voice.

"It has been bothering me for a long time. That guy, Amatsukaze Shiki, I don't doubt he has guts, but they're directed in the wrong way. The institute has been nice to all of us, but he still thinks he is an outsider even when everyone is on the same boat. I came to fix all that somehow," Gunha replied while keeping his eyes fixed forward. "Manabe and Yuki, you guys just stay behind me. I don't know much about Shokuhou there, but you can count on me if anything happens."

"Maybe we should've brought Souma with us. He is the one that understands Amatsukaze's power best after all," the little girl named Yuki spoke up exasperatedly while hanging her shoulders down. "Just to be clear, I'm being forced to come against my will, not because I care about that hero-preaching fool! I also don't want Mental Out to have the entire spotlight!"

Sogiita Gunha would rush forward at the very front and cause a commotion. The rest would work on the sidelines to negotiate or even capture Amatsukaze, and then they would finally retrieve Megumi. After that, they would hear what is happening on the other side from Amatsukaze himself.

They reached their destination eventually. But before they could storm in through the front door, Kumokawa held out a hand to stop them as she gazed at that towering structure in front. "This might be harder than we expected."

* * *

_**Goals**_

A bright light suddenly peeked out from the darkness. For a moment, Yuzuki Megumi couldn't see anything but a mesh of blurring lights. Her eyes had been adjusted to the darkness so it took her a few seconds to see anything. When her eyelids opened, her eyes were immediately pulled in to the source of this light, a small light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

She had awoken from a bad dream but couldn't remember exactly what it was, but it involved the Queen. It was blurry, but she remembered the uncomfortable atmosphere of Tokiwadai's campus. The difficult competition she had to take part in everyday along with other high-levelled espers. It was a tiresome routine, constantly being compared to the Level 5's, always seeing the disappointed faces of the researchers, always following the strict rules of the prestigious school, all of it was the same as living a life of an incomplete machine on the assembly line. That's why Megumi preferred to be the one working on the machine rather than being the machine under assembly. And then there's Shokuhou Misaki... A lot happened, but she finally found a place where the assembly line no longer looked so mechanical.

But reality caught up to her quick. Her arms and legs were bound. She felt a small pain stab at the back of her head due to being knocked out. But at least she was still breathing. Her capacity to think slowly returned to normal. What happened to her? Why was she bound there? In the first place, where was she? All those things came surging in to her head, but somebody else answered for her.

"You have been passed out for 2 hours. I was getting bored so I was just about to get some coffee and board games."

A voice resounded in the emptiness.

"You are now currently inside one of those temporary bases that stupid girl happens to own as a safe house," said a boy who was sitting on a chair not too far away from her. His name was Amatsukaze Shiki, a Gemstone from that institute being managed by Director Kaizumi Tsugutoshi and Kumokawa Seria. He was leaning against something like a control console that was attached to an array of monitors. The console itself was laid on top of a long, narrow table. There was no mistaking it, this was a surveillance room.

The single light bulb flickered between them.

There was nobody else besides the two of them in this small room.

"And? Why did you bring me here? I can only imagine that you are keeping me hostage in order to capture the Queen. Well, she is a Level 5, so confronting her directly would be too difficult. It's only logical that you would take an insurance to raise your advantage, _but do you really think she is the kind of mushy girl who always acts for the sake of friendship?_" The girl spoke in a soft voice while bound up. Some of the pain was still not going away.

Amatsukaze didn't show much emotion. As he replied, he lightly tapped the metallic table next to the keyboard of the surveillence console. "You're not wrong for thinking that. But I won't do something as cowardly as taking somebody hostage." The monitors next to him showed live video feeds of empty bedrooms and hallways, but he was not focused on any of those, he was focused on something else that might not be in this room altogether. His mind was somewhere else.

He was thinking of his own path.

He was aware that he had knocked this girl out.

But still, he knew he had to do it.

For the sake of the greater good, he had to do it...

The girl's eyes widened for a bit but regained their focus once more. That was close, but no love flags will be raised anytime soon, Megumi was sure of that. "What about these? If this isn't some kind of bondage play, then what else is it?" While sitting on the cold floor, she twisted her body a bit to show him the tight ropes binding her wrists.

"The guys did that when I showed up. I only agreed because they were so noisy. Also, I looked after you so that nothing else happened. This wasn't part of the plan after all so I didn't have the support of the other members."

"This wasn't part of the plan... ?" Megumi asked as the information inside her head slowly became muddled with confusion. "What is going on exactly?"

"First things first, I was amazed that you did so well in figuring out that I was a Gemstone. I expected that Academy City had a wide range of espers so someone like me could easily blend right in, but I guess that's why it also makes it easy to distinguish a normal esper from a Gemstone. But let me clarify one thing, my power isn't that one you called Aero Hand or that ability that changes air resistance," calmly stated the boy.

It had caused massive destruction in Megumi's lab. Everything around a radius from him was blown away as if a massive bomb was detonated.

Even against a powerful machine such as Mark I that could crush a Powered Suit with one hand, it demonstrated maneuverability and even disrupted that machine's attacks.

What's even weird was that he was even able to stop her from moving. It was brief, but Megumi was sure that her body couldn't move at all.

And above all else, that boy did not show a slight hint of concern all throughout everything that happened.

The girl grew silent for a bit just as she remembered the abilities of this Gemstone.

"I don't like running my mouth off like some tasteless villain, so I'll say this briefly. My power is called Zone Alter. It's a Gemstone ability that's hard to believe for someone whose basis is solely on the science side."

Though he didn't mean to, Amatsukaze got a dubious look from the girl.

"Anyway, I acted independently without anyone knowing. I couldn't stomach their plans any longer and just went with the third, imaginary path I had made up on my own. Also, you're only half correct that we're after Shokuhou Misaki. From the very beginning, we've been obeying this annoying rich girl's plans so that she could grasp what she was seeking, until someone brought revenge onto the table."

"They wanted revenge?... On who?"

It might have been obvious, but Megumi still wanted to hear it directly from him.

Amatsukaze shook his head. The answer was already quite obvious. "The part of the group who sided with that guy split up from us and is currently trying to find out ways of executing that revenge. That's when all that commotion started. They're a helpless bunch so I doubt they will succeed, anyway."

"So you're all originally not after the Queen?" Megumi carefully threaded with her question.

"That's right. We were after _something that is related to Shokuhou Misaki_. It's related to her being a Level 5. In a way, you could say it is related to all the Level 5's. That girl says it is something that she needs in order to bring about a large change on Academy City."

Megumi silently listened.

"That's where I found myself joining in. I needed what that stupid girl was after. But after seeing all of their methods, I found that they really didn't sit well with me, that is why I settled for a different path." Amatsukaze's eyes fixated on her. "Before all of this happened, I was living a normal life outside Academy City. I lived in a small rural town where there is only one school and everything was surrounded by paddy fields instead of these large buildings. I was living a normal life of a regular high school boy you see anywhere. But my peace was destroyed when that organization called Science Freedom League came to get me, a Gemstone, saying they wanted to become the new standard of science. It wasn't just me who experienced this though. Gemstones all over the world have been targeted. I can't say much for them, but I found it despicable. The entire world turned out to be full of dangerous elements wanting to get their hands on a new weapon in order to surpass Academy City. Because of this, the Church seems to think that this was all part of Academy City's plan in spreading the influence of science by motivating organizations all over the world. After thinking it a lot, I realized that I need to change that. I need to help this world somehow by stopping the disorder plaguing everything, even if I'm just a single individual. I need to crush the powers creating all these disorder in the world, and I won't let anyone stand in my way before I achieve total order."

Amatsukaze continued further. "I was lucky my chance to finally leave the village finally arrived when that girl wearing those military goggles came to get me. It was my chance to finally arrive at the center of the world's conflict, Academy City. It was my chance to become an influential power to stop the disorder in the world. And in order to do that, I need Shokuhou Misaki. Her influence as a Level 5, I need it in order to get a foothold on Academy City's center, the chairman Aleister Crowley. There, I will be able to get a position that can decide the world's outcomes."

The words may have not sunk in for a while. Megumi may have not been able to take it all in.

Gemstones were precious espers that appear naturally without any kind of artificial method like the Power Curriculum Program. But in terms of their overall importance, the Level 5's seemed greater in Academy City's eyes. Losing a Level 5 would mean a disaster for Academy City. Needless to say, they had a position which gives them leeways into the foundations of this city.

It was Amatsukaze's intentions to approach Shokuhou Misaki and use her position as a Level 5 in order to influence Academy City, and then the whole world eventually.

That's why she was brought here.

"So you took me here in order to negotiate with the Queen?"

"Yeah, you are merely just a stepping stone for me. I knew that if I just confront her directly, the results would not be what I wanted."

She was only a tool to be used, a puppet. This may not have been any different from before. The most important was the Level 5. She felt a small aching in her heart as she realized that. She expected that she was just going to be used like some poker chip in order to exchange Shokuhou Misaki, but facing the truth was actually harder than she thought.

"Wow that was such a deep speech. So that's your goal, Shiki-chan."

Another voice cut in from the speakers all over the room.

"Tch… you were eavesdropping?" Amatsukaze frowned and turned towards one speaker at the corner of the room.

"Yep! So I guess this means we will be breaking up now, right? That's so sad." The voice spoke with such carefree spirit. "Hiyah, Megumi-chan! I'm this guy's now former boss. My name is Emily Quarterbell, nice to meetcha!"

This was the girl that started all of this.

Her goal was to achieve that object that was related to Shokuhou Misaki.

"What do you want, you stupid rich girl?" Amatsukaze spat out.

"I was curious what was up with you bringing in someone from Shokuhou Misaki's side. I asked my men to tie her thinking that she was a prize you brought for me, but now here I am finding about your heroic plan to save the world. I'm not angry for your insubordination by the way. I expected this much from someone like you. In any case, your actions do not contribute at all to me finding Paradigm Shift so…"

"Paradigm Shift?" Megumi raised a curious brow. _Is this the thing she is after? What is it? If this can put a stop to everything that is going on, then I must escape and let the Queen know!_

"Oh, my bad. Let's not go into that direction, shall we? Anyway, Shiki-chan, you're fired! I don't need any more rowdy people in my group so you can just run back to your institute!"

"That's fine. Now that I have a better grasp of Academy City's systems, I don't need to rely on you anymore." The boy smiled.

There was a brief silence from the speakers, but it seemed that the person on the other side was enjoying herself.

"By the way~" Emily continued. "I have no obligation to look after my former underlings but…"

A sudden tremor caused the ceilings inside the room to shake and drop fragments of concrete and dust to the floor. The phenomenon took Megumi by surprise.

"Your base is currently under attack. Will you be alright, I wonder?"

* * *

_**Entrance: Level_0_Rejects.**_

The Level 5's were considered as the main plan of Academy City. That's why a lot research was put into them. But sadly, the efforts in creating them only yielded seven to exist. But that wasn't enough. If even a single Level 5 were to disappear, it would be a great disaster to the science side. In order to prevent that scenario, the number must increase dramatically. But simply improving the usual academic curriculum wasn't enough. A new system must be made.

"That girl is quite a nuisance," quietly muttered a man wearing a business suit. "It seems she has no honor for respecting someone for their research. Really now, if you're trying to seize my brilliance, at least try on your own otherwise you would look like a delinquent trying to copy a class rep's homework."

He was the one in charge of that new system. In order to prevent that worst case scenario, he created what would be a new standard for Academy City.

There were three figures standing side-by-side in front of him. All of them had grey hair and golden eyes which were staring at him lifelessly. Their names were as follows.

Mochizuki Yoshiya.

Katagiri Rina

Kurogami Enma

"Since Gen-0 was such a failure as a prototype, you Gen-1's will have to teach that girl a lesson for me instead. After all, we're still not quite done yet, not until we successfully produce a Gen-2," the man smiled as the three moved away from his sight without saying a word in reply.

The real esper arena was about to begin.

* * *

**END AN:**

**Hello there! I didn't think I would be able to release this chapter today, but I proved myself wrong! Hopefully, this chapter turned out alright.**

**A whole bunch of new names just popped up in this chapter. The cast is growing is so much that I find myself rapidly switching from POV to POV in just one section alone. I hope it doesn't get too confusing for you in the long run though.**

**Anyway, did I surprise you with Amatsukaze's ability? I sure hope so! I decided to refrain from giving it a concrete description for now because the mystic disappears once the cat's out of the bag. But there is definite rule to his ability that may prove to be a weakness, which makes me wonder, if Takayama and Amatsukaze were to fight, what form of trickery would he use against this?**

**And with that short AN, thanks for reading! If possible, please leave a review on the way out. It will really, really help with my progress on the next chapters! I will also answer any questions that may come.**

**The Paradigm term finally came. I guess this is a flag on its own.**..


	28. Mental Contradiction: Dead Night

**Chapter 28 - Mental Contradiction: Dead Night**

* * *

_**Harmony**_

Once the curtain of the night fell over the sky, Academy City's nightlife began. Schools closed, streetlights turned on, and students were ushered back into their dorm. The night sky hung over all. Not all students had curfews however, so a lot of them could be found roaming the streets along with the adults. It was usually at this time that you might find troublemakers who do not obey the city's laws doing nothing worthwhile out in the open.

A boy named Takayama Akito had once been one of those troublemakers back when his hate for espers was on the line of unforgivable. Now it was more of a slight irritation. He did not have any kind of piercings, tattoos, or body modifications that could attract the attention any discipline committee member, but he did have dyed blonde hair that was messy in every sense of the word and a strange habit of wearing only clothes with hoods on them.

Dirt had managed to get through his school blazer and into his white hoodie, but he did not mind all that much. He was more concerned of the fact that his tired body might not be able to make it back to his dorm. At any rate, he limply walked through the side streets of the city with a tired face and a bag holding a single special burger which had an odd name of Nutritious Burger-kun. That part was important. He was only able to salvage a single burger of the two he bought. It was a given that he had to give it to that girl staying at his dorm, which only left with the question of what he will do with his own dinner. His allowance was limited so he didn't have any choice but to excavate his refrigerator for leftovers.

He let out a long sigh as his bruised hand opened the door to his room. "I'm back… ughh…"

"Welcome back, shishou!" The girl named Athena immediately stood up once she heard his voice. "What is that you are holding?"

The warm atmosphere of the dorm eliminated any worries left in his head, or it could have just been that girl who walked up to him hastily like a child. Inside, an average-sized TV was showing some random romance drama which that girl was probably watching before he arrived. It was the usual sight of the Takayama dorm. He did not have any extravagant furniture, and the overall space was not suited for two people to live in, but even so, this was home. This was the only place where he did not have trouble being himself.

"Dinner," Takayama replied with no energy in his voice. "Anyway, eat up while I go find any treasures that might be hiding in our stock."

Athena tilted her head slightly under the light of the room as Takayama handed over the bag to her and trudged through the kitchen towards his only salvation. His footsteps echoed as it landed on the carpet and wooden flooring.

"But if I remember correctly, there is only a piece of seaweed, dried mushrooms, and eggs which have roughly expired in the refrigerator."

"What?! You've got to be kidding me!" Takayama instantly pulled the handle once he heard that. The refrigerator door swung open with a loud whoosh. Cold air escaped, providing a gentle breeze.

Empty.

Disregarding the pitiful pieces that could hardly be called ingredients, the interior looked clean enough that one might start thinking that it was fresh from the manufacturing facility. Takayama stared at the sparkly space with his jaw hanging open. He was supposed to receive the all-important hero's reward after slaying the demon king and bringing fortune and peace to the kingdom, but there was nothing in front of him. The world seemed to tilt on him in that moment.

"D-do not worry, shishou! I will not simply leave you behind to starve!" Athena announced with a determined look while the boy remained in a state of shock. His brain seemed to be searching for something that wasn't there. "We can surely find a way to solve this if we put our heads together. How about I ground up those ingredients into powder form and combine them with the tablets lying around? I can surely make a mixture that can fool your brain into thinking that you are not hungry! We only need a beaker, a flask, and a small burner!"

"Don't turn my room into a chemical laboratory! That knowledge is great, but you need to direct it into something that a person can find ethical!" Takayama snapped out of his dazed state and began thinking of an alternative in order to prevent himself from starving to death in the middle of the night. He had avoided that ending countless of times before during his life here in Academy City, but this was the first time he got this dangerously close to facing death. Even if he ate all those tiny scraps which were being obscured by the glittering sparkles of the interior of his refrigerator, he would still starve. He needed something that could last him even a night so he can find a permanent solution tomorrow. "Alright, I think I have an idea."

"Yes…?" Athena watched the boy regain his composure.

"There's a convenience store not far from here which sells super cheap bentos. They're not that good, and they're expiration dates are questionable, but they're edible."

"If I may voice my disapproval, I think my suggestion would be a better choice than that. I will make sure the nutrients you will get will accelerate your growth rate and wipe out any harmful bacteria in your system."

"No thanks! It has been a while since I've tasted real food! I'll settle for anything at this point as long as it's something I can sink my teeth into without tasting something bitter and empty!"

After changing out of his dirty school uniform, Takayama hurriedly led the way out of the dorm while Athena, with cheeks puffing angrily and somewhat cutely, looked displeased at her suggestion being rejected. The two walked side by side, passing the lamp posts that shone bright lights on the pavements and restaurants that made Takayama's stomach grumble. His fatigue had eventually been replaced by the thought of food and his survival instincts. They crossed a road and entered a street which was surrounded with a variety of stores on both sides.

"Come to think of it, shishou, why were you late in heading home? I was really worried." With her innocent sky blue eyes, Athena glanced over to the delinquent boy, who had his hands inside his pockets.

Takayama lightly scratched the back of his head before replying to that question. "I got a little sidetracked on the way by something absurdly stupid."

"Sidetracked...?" The girl tilted her head to the side a bit as she pondered on that word.

"It means taking a detour."

"Hm hmm... Does this happen often? It has not been long since I took residence at your dorm, so I am quite curious of shishou's daily routine." The girl said in her usual graceful voice.

"You're curious of what I usually do?" The boy replied with a surprised looked, and the girl blushed and looked down as she met Takayama's stare. That would have made anyone's heart skip a beat, even just a little. But Takayama was different. "Well, you're only going to be disappointed. I'm just a normal Level 0 who is sometimes being treated as a guinea pig by this lazy scientist just like any student here, except I'm just a past time for him thanks to his honor students. But most of the time I just head home after school since I don't have clubs or extracurricular activities. It's a pretty normal life."

"If I remember correctly, you are classmates with Atsuchi-san and Tsuyuri-san. It must be fun having friends like that in school."

"It's not bad. Although, I think Tsuyuri is kinda weird." Takayama crossed his arms and wondered why that girl who sat beside him in class was always trembling and looking like she was about to face the guillotine.

"So shishou's daily activities constitutes of normal things that any Academy City student would be familiar with, I see."

"That's right, normal. You'll never find any more normal student in this strange city than me. Normal. Normal. Normal."

While Takayama tried to mimic a job applicant in an interview, Athena brought her slender hand to her chin and looked lost in thought for a while. The two had slowed down their pace and were now walking casually in a normal street which had the occasional car passing by and with hardly anyone around.

"I do not mean to sound intrusive, but…." Athena suddenly spoke up when they had reached a crossing. "That lazy scientist you mentioned, who exactly is she?" The voice which always had that graceful tone suddenly turned grave.

"Kihara Kiyosu, an auxiliary teacher at my school and my power developer. Why'd you ask?"

"So I was correct…." Inside her head, a bright light suddenly eliminated all her doubts.

And then a storm suddenly appeared.

"You have been spending time with this Kihara person after school while you allow her to seduce you!" The normally composed Athena waved her arms around on her sides like a child complaining about how unfair adults are.

"W-what?!"

"It is all clear now! Shishou has been spending time with a woman, that is why you are so late in returning home! This is essentially called 'cheating' in my databanks!"

"Gwaaaahh! He's actually a guy so you calling him a 'she' is giving me disturbing visions of a female genderbent version! Dammit, is this what they call a wild imagination?! Anyway, you're completely wrong! I was just chased around Academy City by a bunch of no-name students! And I definitely won't do anything with that guy, in fact, I won't do anything with any guy! This is all so wrong that I wish there was a reset button somewhere in my brain. Do you have a memory erasing functionality in your system, because I sure could use one right now!" Takayama's body flailed around like an odd ethnic dance as he grabbed his head with both hands.

The scene which looked like a weird mix of a lovers' spat and a decisive world-ending revelation eventually ended with the misunderstanding cleared up and with Takayama's dignity restored. The boy managed to dispel her suspicions temporarily, but he sensed that she has put some kind of leash on him.

As their leisurely walk continued, Athena closely examined the night scenery of Academy City while Takayama had his attention fixated on the light of the small building up ahead.

The small chime rang as they both finally entered the store which will hopefully bring his salvation. He immediately engaged in his mission the moment he set foot in the interior while Athena was left in the entrance, looking around with curiosity written all over her face.

The delinquent boy glided through the store until something caught his eyes in a small aisle of perishable foods.

"Tsuyuri?"

"U-ueh?!" The frail girl jumped up for unknown reasons when Takayama was within reach.

"Oh, it's Takayama-san." An expressionless girl with long, black hair approached them from the other side.

"You…? Weren't you the one from the rooftop who was spouting weird phrases?"

"T-Takayama-san, you are speaking to our student council president…" The weak-willed Tsuyuri Aki tried to put the delinquent in line, but it sadly failed.

Takayama was about to say something regarding their appearance but stopped when he suddenly noticed the clothing the expressionless girl was wearing. It was a black hoodie.

"Hmm… I see, I see. So it works well with that body type as well." He stared straight at the girl's hood with the critical eyes of an artisan.

"I'm surprised. You have quite the one-track mind, Takayama Akito. All this time, I always took you for the intellectual type, but I guess boys are still boys." The girl let out a soft sigh of disappointment as the delinquent missed his chance to rebuke because he was still focused on the hood that was not his own. "At any rate, since I forgot to introduce myself earlier, my name is Yukimoto Yuuki. Just like what Tsuyuri-san said, I'm the student council president of our school. I hope this does not change your view of me, although you could clean your act up a little." She dropped the introduction once she noticed Takayama was still not listening to her.

Having finally snapped out of his hypnotized state, Takayama brought his attention to what's really important. "Why are you two here?"

"I won't reply to that question unless you refer to me by my proper name," said the long-haired student council president in a monotonous voice.

"Yukimoto..."

"W-we aren't so close that you can call me without an honorific..." She quietly replied and let her feet stagger backwards after having her composure instantly destroyed.

"We were buying some things to bring over for our small party." Having decided that the conversation wasn't moving along, the frail Tsuyuri Aki weakly replied in her usual small voice.

The conversation began as fluidly as if it was between a small group of friends. Takayama had completely forgotten what he was there for and so he continued the conversation with the two girls without meaning to. "You mean the two of you live under the same dorm?"

The fact that the girl with the weakest presence in the entire school and the almighty student council president belonged to the same dormitory was surprising. He found it embarrassing that he was almost always uninvolved with what goes on in his school, which he made him more or less a stranger to other people's relations.

"I guess you're roommates, huh?"

"No, we actually have our own individual rooms. Yukimoto-san is a second year, so her room is on a different part of the dorm, and usually, if dorms were to put two students together, they will only pair up students of the same year. B-b-but you probably already know this Takayama-san..."

"So you don't have to bother with a sleep-talking roommate?! I'm so jealous!"

"From what I gather, our rooms are twice the size of yours."

"That's so unfair! Don't tell me they rewarded you with nice rooms just because your levels satisfy them a bit! Now I feel like going on a grand search for a dorm or a cheap apartment to live in that would treat espers of all levels equally! My wallet is crying nonstop just thinking about the utility expenses I pay every month!"

A generous amount of salt was added to the blonde-haired delinquent's wounds by the super-calm student council president. Living in a strange world of luxury made her oblivious to the everyday troubles of average delinquent Takayama Akito. Regardless, that didn't stop her words from rolling over his inferior being.

"You guys have everything..." Takayama sighed, admitting defeat. It was high time he moved on, nothing he could do now to get an affordable place which could perfectly accommodate two people. With that said he directed his attention to the girl named Yukimoto Yuuki, the one who he spoke to earlier during his lunch break at the school rooftop about something he didn't quite understand. "So you're the president, huh? Judging from your looks, you might well be one of those uber superhuman types who can do anything perfectly just by putting their mind to it."

"I do not quite understand these 'types' you speak of, but I'm most definitely not perfect. At best, I can only play the piano, violin, trombone, and have mastery of three forms of martial arts."

"That sounds superhuman to me! Are you the daughter of a CEO of a big business conglomerate as well?! Is there a helipad on the roof of your mansion where your private helicopters land on?! Ms. President, I hope you're not planning on running for a cabinet position in Japan's government in the future!"

"Don't be silly, having a helicopter land on your own roof would make too much noise for anyone to sleep through. That's why we have it on an open field."

"Those last words were kinda suspicious, don't you think?! Somehow my brain can't keep up with everything you are saying!"

A figure approached from Takayama's back and gave a casual voice to the heated conversation. "What's going on? You guys are oddly having fun, so I came to check up on you. Did you meet with a classmate or something?" That figure was a girl with short golden hair and bright green eyes. Her clothes were as casual as the other two girls.

The only boy in the group turned to look at her. Their eyes met for an instant followed by silence. The new girl gave a questioning look for a brief, brief moment until she realized something and let a small yelp. "Y-you... ?!"

"?"

"What's wrong, Meme-chan?" Tsuyuri tilted her head to the side slightly as she looked over, confused, towards the golden-haired girl.

"It's him!" Mashiro Meme pointed a trembling finger towards the delinquent.

"... What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! Don't look at me like I'm some kind purse-snatcher!" Takayama instantly replied to the class president's accusing gaze.

"Regardless, please don't get close to me. I do not want to be harassed by the one who can illicit such a reaction from a young girl."

"Those are some pretty damn cold words, you damn ice queen!"

"I must go. We're still not finish with our shopping and it's getting quite late," was the only thing Yukimoto Yuki said before heading towards the other end of the convenience store.

"I'm telling you, I'm innocent! Hey, are you going to clear this up or what?" Takayama faced Mashiro Meme with a mean glare.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... But more importantly, don't you remember me?! I'm the one you helped last summer. My name's Mashiro Meme!"

"... Who?"

"Ughh..."

"Wa-wa-waahh why are you collapsing like that, Meme-chan? You know Takayama-san can be really tactless sometimes."

The golden-haired girl fell onto her knees as the life got sucked out of her by some mysterious force. Her best friend, Tsuyuri Aki, came to her help without wasting any time.

Witnessing this, Takayama casually walked up to them to find out what was wrong. "Are you okay?"

Still on her knees, Mashiro regained a bit of her strength and quietly nodded with red all over her face.

"Anyway," Takayama changed the subject. "My damn memory has been fogging in different places. You'll have to give me a big hint so I can remember."

A figure suddenly appeared, exuding tremendous dark aura from around the corner of the potato chips section.

It was the innocent girl with blue eyes.

"Cheating… cheating… cheating… cheating… cheating… cheating…"

Although he was facing the other direction, Takayama felt something crawl under his skin for a moment.

"Shishou, you are cheating again…" She got in close in just an instant to address the boy, but Mashiro caught her attention instead. They wordlessly exchanged glances for what seemed like an hour until both them seemed to understand the same thing.

"…"

"…"

Sparks flew as Athena and Mashiro glared at each other inside the store. Some kind of odd rivalry formed without anyone saying anything. Unknown to any of them, Takayama slipped out of the scene to finish what he came there for.

This was the crucial point of the night. It was Takayama's fight for survival. In order to win, he needed to find the most cost-efficient, natural, and edible instant meal in the convenience store. He was hoping that the impressive science of Academy City could address this small problem by providing him with a product that is a result of some great scientific breakthrough, something like an artificial pork bowl that costed less than a yen.

"Damn, there should be something here. Convenience stores are built for situations like this aren't they?"

"You know this is the first time I have shopped in a place like this. All the items here are so small and so cheap, I'm truly speechless." President Yukimoto commented when Takayama appeared to her side. "So how is your new power, Takayama Akito? Having fun being an esper yet?" Her eyes swayed to her side, hoping to observe Takayama's reaction carefully without him knowing. There was a right and wrong answer to her question. And she wanted to know which that unstable boy would choose.

Takayama suddenly stopped checking out the price label of the instant shoyu packets and placed his hand in the warmth of his jacket's pockets. "I don't understand what you mean about fun. It's not something that you play around with just because it is yours." He shook his head as he rejected the idea. "In the end, nothing's changed much. Everyone's still the same and I'm still Takayama Akito, but I do want to mature a bit and look at things differently without any biases. And turning things to frozen popsicles really gives me a headache. I don't have full control of this yet and it's been bugging me."

Yukimoto grabbed a small cup from the shelf and looked at it thoroughly. "It's often misunderstood what a Personal Reality means, or rather, it is difficult to give it a single, concrete description. Our teachers have told us that it is rooted in the very nature of science, but when it comes to us espers, a Personal Reality is something that is connected to our minds and hearts, a belief. You must keep in mind that this is your reality." The porcelain cup in her hands changed in an instant. Sparkly white frost suddenly covered its entire body. This was obviously not because of the cold weather. It was the influence being generated by the girl's fingertips. "You dictate what your reality is. Just having mere intelligence is not enough. You have to freeze the world and everything in it. Time and space does not matter. Everything is contained in your own world." The frosts continued crawling towards the inside of the hollow cup and began forming a small, transparent crystal orb. It was a tiny representation of the globe with all its small details. Takayama watched the process with a bit of amazement.

"I hate to admit it, but that's pretty damn good, esper-" Takayama paused and scratched the back of his head before correcting himself. "Pres..." The girl did not notice this change.

"So that's what you meant earlier. You have the same power as me."

"Try it, Takayama-san."

Takayama put his hands in front of him but what came out wasn't an elegant masterpiece but a crude, barbaric piece of blade made of rough crystals.

"Your personality is quite straightforward..."

"I can't argue with that…"

"Well, I do not see how frozen water molecules could be useful as a weapon."

"I focus on tightening their bonds so that they won't break on collision. I can match steel if I just focus on the one part of the blade."

"You live quite the violent life, delinquent-san..."

"I-It can't be helped, for some strange reason I find myself involved with people who lack common sense for ordinary life."

"Well, come on then. Once more, I won't be satisfied until you display some degree of complexity and dynamics with your powers."

"Why are you doing this? We hardly even know each other."

"Oh, I know all about you Takayama Akito. I know the good sides and the bad. But at the moment, just consider me as a teacher."

When a few minutes passed and Takayama was able to shape something smooth and detailed, the calm, expressionless student council president muttered, "That's alright for now..." and left. Some other person appeared just as Takayama decided on getting a packet of cheap soba noodles, which he intended to cook when he gets back to the dorm.

"Umm... Is that supposed to be your dinner? That's too unhealthy! Will you really get full by eating junk like that?!" The golden-haired Mashiro suddenly went wide-eyed when she saw the pitiful scene.

"Hey, don't look down on soba! You probably already know this but soba has been curing world hunger for a long time now, like in post-disaster areas for example!" Takayama's survival instincts already had full control over his delirious mind when he spouted these sketchy facts.

"Is soba really that grand?! Regardless, a student shouldn't stoop to this level! Here, I'll help you out. I can get you this lunch box set as a compromise."

"No way! I chose this soba of my own free will!"

"Oh dear, you're already hallucinating... Come, the cashier's over here."

"Damn, I don't like owing someone."

"It's alright. I've been wanting to pay you back for a long time now. I just didn't imagine that it would be like this."

Takayama reluctantly accepted while intent on paying her back in the future.

"It's really good to see you again. I couldn't go to school earlier so I'm glad we bumped into each other here instead..."

Athena interrupted the scene with a blank look in her eyes and began another silent fight with the golden haired girl. This time, Takayama was able to intervene because he desperately wanted to eat before his stomach decided to eat itself whole, leaving the three girls from school.

* * *

_**Battle: Kihara_and_Kihara**_

"That's another day done..." Takayama leaned against the balcony of his dorm, satisfied with his unusual dinner. The evening was quiet and peaceful. Only he was there enjoying the fresh air.

"Enjoying the peace, Takayama-chan?" A small girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sitting on the railing while enjoying the moonlight. Her presence was entirely out of place. She looked like a character from a story book about a foreign world of the occult. Her sudden appearance replaced the numbing silence of the dorm.

Takayama did not let his eyes stray from the scenery because he was aware the moment he acknowledged her, he will be pulled away from the lull of ordinary life. He did not want that. He did not want to be tied with this enigmatic person. All the nerves his gut told him stay away and be wary of any signs of danger.

"You've been having a pleasant dream all day, but I think it's about time you return to reality so we can get down to business." The girl voiced her control over him under the rim of her witch's hat. "You remember why I have been observing you all day since we met?"

Exerting all his will in ignoring her, Takayama stopped himself from showing his surprise at learning that new fact even though every single word stabbed at his nerves.

"There's some place I want to go that will help me bring my task to a conclusion and I need you to accompany me. There's no use arguing here, you'll see that helping me will actually benefit you."

"What do you mean it will benefit me?" Sadly, her words won over him.

"By helping me, you ensure the safety of Academy City. Now isn't that a nice thing to have?" Morgan smiled and looked like the young girl she was supposed to be.

"I don't care about Academy City. Did you expect me to be some sort of hero? Well sorry to burst your bubble, I'm not a person who is meant for such great things." The boy gave a dry laugh at the idea.

"Whether you are one or not does not matter to me, Takayama-chan. I just need someone who will act when something dear to them is in danger." The blonde-haired girl nodded her head in the direction of the figure sleeping on his bed.

The boy's eyes went very sharp, like a fierce animal that has been provoked.

"If something bad were to happen to Academy City, won't she be affected as well?" She said in a low but emotionless voice that didn't seem human.

The night slowly became dyed with a queer shade of black, one that Takayama disliked the most. He put on his white hoodie and faced the cold night with that so-called magician. He did not know their destination. What could a magician possibly want to visit in this scientific city? There was no ancient tomb or ruin here. Was it a place that housed a suspicious-looking person? Another magician? There were a lot of different possibilities entering Takayama's mind as they walked along quietly in the shadows of the streets as Morgan lead the way. He did not know how long they will be walking until they reach their destination. They might even end up in some secluded area of the city which cannot be found anywhere on a map.

But the only place he did not expect was the one right in front of them. It was the building he had been to earlier, and it was the building he was closely acquainted with.

"This is..."

"That's right, it's one of the many facilities of the Kihara Group."

"What are we doing here?"

"You'll find out soon. You just have to worry about assisting me with the science-side part of things since I am after all not knowledgeable of that side."

If, for instance, there was a method to break away from the current circumstance, what would that be? From the very beginning, the only factor that was constraining him was the unknown possibilities of magic. He was an amateur to all this. He did not know how big was the hand that was binding him. If it was just some esper power that she was using, then he could make up a plan to counter it using science. But then again, those might just be empty threats. The reason why the magician was here to begin with was that something was using magic to stir science, not the incident with the cabal. It was the catalyst the group called Necessarius was after. Could it be that there was a different reason from the one he knew? All of it did not make any sense. It was as if there were full of holes in the information he was given. There was a feeling in his head that told him to not follow the mysterious void. Even though he helped them, was this group called Necessarius really good? Was everything real and not just an illusion? He could not come up with an answer. He could not reach a conclusion.

That is why a broad arc slashed through the magician's head. The weapon was like a morning star but with a narrow body covered with brittle spikes. It was the blonde-haired boy's arm turned into a deformed oddity.

Instead of connecting everything delicately in its rightful place, he will grasp the answer with force.

"I think I'm beginning to understand you now. Just like how esper powers reflect their owner's personality somehow, this is how you are actually like as a person. The first instance you showed it was back in the hospital," Takayama let his voice ring through the cold air. "I don't know if you are capable of many other abilities, but I can't trust a person using such dirty tricks. You have one sick mind to be using illusions."

"Oh my, this is quite suspicious. Is there some sort of secret you do not want me to find out in this facility?" The girl let out a faint giggle as she appeared behind him. "Or perhaps are you on that Kihara's side?"

"Let me ask you this…" He turned around to look at her.

The cold wind blew from the facility. There was no one around except for the two of them.

"Was that Stiyl in the hospital an illusion? Did you really come here to solve some stupid magical mystery?"

The small girl skipped along the path as she listened. Each second she inched closer to the building.

"Are you really a member of Necessarius?"

The girl did not answer for the second Takayama finished speaking, Morgan's lips moved and the nearby gate disappeared as if it had been made of water and evaporated by heat.

"Damn yooouuuuuuu!" Takayama rushed after her, an echo of laughter could be heard ahead.

Despite the gate disappearing and them entering the inside of the facility, he did not hear any alarms ringing or any signs of activity. "Shit, did she do something to the staff before coming here?!"

"It is true I could have made an illusion of Stiyl so that you will believe I was a member of Necessarius. It is true I could be here doing something entirely different. I could just be another magician plotting something awful just like the ones you met and I'm just fooling Necessarius into thinking I was one of them so they would turn a blind eye. Indeed those are possible." The voice seemed to come from everywhere.

Takayama had difficulty closing the distance from the magician's vague figure through the empty lit halls.

"Let me tell you a short story about the beings people once feared that they don't even want to utter their name." The voice continued further and further inside without a clear destination. "They are often referred to as the guardians of the forest or the 'good people' because saying their name is the same as having misfortune brought upon you, but I could care less about that. I have no problem calling them as the Fae. The Fae are what you might call the fairies or sprites that live in nature, away from humans. They appear and disappear as they wish for they are very mischievous. You can say that they have their own form of magic, Fairy magic. Words and names are actually very powerful, Takayama-chan. Magic symbols are always associated with a word and even people's names are derived from the symbols in nature. Your last name, for example, is a character for 'Mountain' and 'Hawk'. Even onmyoudo arts recognize the power of a name. The Fae have a natural gift for controlling and attuning these names at their will, which is why, from Germanic to the Gaelic tribes, people feared that if they spoke a certain name near a forest, a would Fae come to greet them. Why am I telling you this? Well, you said that I use dirty tricks when you knew nothing about me. And it breaks my heart that you would say such horrible things about my roots."

Continued to follow her footsteps until she completely disappeared, leaving him in a wide, unfamiliar room filled with large cylindrical containers with pipes connecting them overhead.

Takayama looked left and right around the room but there were no signs of her. "Damn it, what the hell is she doing?! Why did she come here in the first place? This is the least place connected to magic so there's absolutely no reason to come here!"

He stood there for a moment trying to think of his next move when a set of footsteps slowly made their way towards his location.

"This is strange. I didn't expect an intruder to break in here of all places."

"Nee-san, technically we're intruders as well."

Before Takayama could hide behind one of the containers, the two people muttering to themselves spotted him from far away.

"I don't know what your reason for being here, but this is an off-limits area. Only a Kihara is allowed in here." A girl wearing a private school uniform let out what could be called a smile unbefitting a sane human being. She look no older than a high school student, and at the same time, a business-like air surrounded her. Her jet-black hair was long and straight, free of any accessories or ornaments. It was merely kept in its purest state.

"You'll probably won't believe me, but a small girl led me here!," Takayama replied as the two moved slowly until they were a fair distance from him. "I have no idea what she's after, but if you are looking after this place, then you should focus on her instead!"

The girl simply shook her head. "I really don't care what reason you give us. It's already far too late for that don't you think? You're here and we found you, it's obvious what our best course of action would be, right?"

"Again, nee-san, we're intruders too. It's not our place to judge what he is doing…" The boy beside her let out a quiet criticism. He was completely pale as if he hadn't eaten in months. The sweater above his school uniform seemed to sag as it hung from his thin body.

"Oh, shut up, you stupid kid! I'm bored to death out here so what's a small breather once in a while?" Her eyes that looked like a muddy shadow moved towards the hooded, blonde-haired delinquent. "Now let's get down to it. My name is Kihara Noriko and this is my younger twin brother, Kihara Byoki. You cannot runaway from us so you might as well provide entertainment, blondie."


	29. Mental Contradiction: Fake

**Chapter 29 - Mental_Contradiction: Fake**

* * *

_**Battle: Kihara_and_Kihara Pt. 2**_

_What should I do? She's gone without a trace and these two suddenly appeared instead. I don't think they're related much less working with one another, but what the hell do I do? I seriously don't have time for this. _Standing on the dull grey floor of a wide laboratory, the blonde-haired boy named Takayama Akito narrowed his eyes underneath his white hood.

There were two figures standing in that metallic scene to create this tension.

Kihara Noriko and Kihara Biyoki, a pair of siblings who looked similar to each other, and yet, have different personalities. Their motives were unknown but they were clearly not on his side.

The boy had a saying. If the situation became a one-on-one, he would stay and fight as long as it was within his ability. If it was a two-on-one, he would find a way to retreat so he could come up with a countermeasure. It was a radical conclusion he came up with. He did not overestimate himself, and he did not underestimate his opponent. That nomal boy was not some superhero who could defeat countless opponents with sheer willpower. He did not have a power that could drastically change the state of the battlefield.

"As such and such, we must remove any unauthorized personnel from entering this facility." The shady girl smiled and waved her hand to give a small lecture. The brother pouted again.

"I'm not sure if you are being serious or not, you have got it wrong. I'm an esper affiliated with this facility," He simply replied. "I have connections as well."

The two glanced at him from across the space.

A moment passed.

Finally, the pale, lanky boy whose clothes sagged over his thin, unhealthy body spoke up to his sister, "Nee-san, perhaps we can ignore him for now and head home?"

A small cross-shaped vein seemed to sprout from the girl's forehead. "You're just being lazy, aren't you?"

The one called Biyoki shamelessly nodded, "My body is craving for nourishment, or in short, I'm hungry. "

Noriko seemed reluctant for a moment but finally shrugged. "Fine, I guess we'll be wasting a lot of time toying with him if we did. There's probably no meaning to having fun here."

Biyoki sighed in relief and even Takayama let out a small sigh, hidden from the other two.

The worst outcome could be averted. Both sides did not see anything to gain by engaging each other. They could all turn their backs and walk away as if nothing happened. Of course, this didn't mean Takayama's mission was over. He did not know where she was, but Takayama must find out where that dangerous girl ran off to. That girl was affiliated with the mysterious magic side. There was no telling what she planned on doing in that place.

"-Is that what you wanted me to say, you dumb brat?! Of course, there's meaning to having fun! A Kihara who acts on impulse is one who doesn't have to worry about frivolous things from those beneath him! Now go get him or I'll trash all our food supply back home and shackle you to your bed while your stomach eats itself! Don't hold back and show me the progress on your research!"

The lanky boy showed his lack of motivation by heaving another sigh the moment he was given that ridiculous order.

Something changed.

In less than a second, the blonde-haired boy's sleeve was torn to shreds as he leaned his body to the side. He was too late to react. Something flew right at him with such killing intent that he had become frozen in place for an instant before realizing the eminent danger.

The zombie-looking human known as Kihara Biyoki had lunged at him like a human bullet. It was a completely absurd attack without a single thought for one's own safety. It looked like a panther jumping at its prey.

Before their bodies reached a dangerous distance, Takayama had leapt to his side. But that small contact with the other boy had dealt visible destruction to his right arm's sleeve.

A loud crash hit the steel containers not far from him.

"W-What the hell was that, a suicide attack? Are you crazy?!" He stood up and looked at the aftermath. Kihara Noriko was still smiling after all this.

That one attack surely dealt more damage to the attacker than the victim. No, it could have ended Biyoki's life more than anything.

But, a crippled figure silently stood up in the middle of the dustcloud.

"Please do not worry, my body will recover from any trauma or injury," a faint voice spoke up.

Surprised, Takayama watched as the body that was covered in blood make visible cracking noises. A dislocated shoulder moved involuntarily and snapped back into place. A spine that curved in a completely wrong angle bent around a few times to return to its original shape. A fractured skull applied some kind of fast acting treatment and became whole again. Within seconds, the broken body was once again in normal condition.

Something was definitely not normal about this boy, was what the Level 0 instantly felt.

Academy City was a home to supernatural powers. Espers frequented the entirety of the city on a daily basis. But this was on a whole different level. Kihara Byouki's condition was completely different from an esper's.

"Now that's more Kihara-like," spoke the girl in a high school uniform. "Your regeneration has improved, but far from acceptable."

Not wasting any more time, Takayama Akito began running deeper into the facility once he saw the boy had completely recovered from the attack. "Damn it! So, that's why you're so lively all of a sudden. If you can fix your body up no problem, then there's no reason for you to worry about hurting yourself from your own suicide attack!"

He passed through a few similar-looking containers. There were various objects scattered all around that giant technological room which was as wide as a gymnasium.

There was a reason he was heading in this direction.

If he could not escape, then at the very least, he shouldn't stay in that place where the two predators could watch all his moves. He had to get rid of that disadvantage. By using all these containers and devices to conceal himself, the two Kiharas would at least have trouble coordinating with one another. If he was lucky, they would split up. Dealing with one of them at a time was better than being ganged up on.

He heard metal being crushed behind him. And then a loud collision destroyed a large block of computer equipment. It was like a motorcycle had been recklessly strapped to a rocket booster and let loose even though controlling its momentum was impossible. Kihara Biyoki was using his extreme speed to catch up even though he was more likely to crash.

Based on the sound, he was getting close but still quite far behind. Takayama looked back to see the damage.

"You shouldn't look back when you are in a chase," a low voice devoid of any motivation suddenly spoke right next to him.

"?!"

"How did I immediately get behind you when I just crashed against a wall? That was just the body of a neutron microscope I threw to give you the impression that I was moving carelessly. I was not actually using my full speed to catch up to you."

"You mean that large thing I passed by?!" Takayama gritted his teeth when he heard those half-hearted words. "How are you so strong?! Having regeneration ability is reasonable enough, but adding that unbelievable strength is definitely unfair!"

Crossing his arms and nodding in satisfaction for being praised, Kihara Biyoki looked pleased with himself as he ran alongside Takayama Akito.

He was toying with him.

Even though he was within range to end this, Biyoki still took the time to have a leisure talk.

"My specialty is very basic in the human biology field," spoke the zombie-looking boy. "You are familiar with stem cells correct? It can be called the repair tools of the human body. They divide themselves and turn into specific cells in order to patch up any portions of the body given some amount of time. But by themselves, they are too slow to yield any practical result. I wanted to produce the same healing factor in certain lizards, so I created nanomachines that boosts the production of those cells by rapidly consuming fats, proteins and other nutrients and injected them into my body."

That must be why he was so thin. His body hungered and consumed more than the average person because of the tiny machines eating away at his body's resources. But what truly bothered Takayama was something else.

"But why?! Why go through so much just to have the ability heal your own wounds? Don't you feel disturbed experimenting on your own body? Aren't you afraid that your body will drastically change past the point of no return?"

Kihara Biyoki glanced up and looked back at him as if the answer didn't took too long to find. "Why? Because it's so interesting. The whole world is like a giant mine full of diamonds called "information" waiting to be discovered. My instincts urge me to seeks these diamonds at any cost because the possibilities of what I find are like the answers to life itself. Science is absolutely fascinating. Nee-san says it's our genes that makes us like this."

Takayama could not relate to his obsession for science. He redirected his train of thought to how he can resolve this situation instead.

But Kihara Biyoki's voice suddenly became heavy.

"I am also incredibly hungry right now. You don't mind me taking a bite out of you, do you?"

"What?!"

"I am consuming more energy than a normal human so I must replenish my stomach frequently. And hunger has a way of affecting the mind so sometimes the line of taboo is blurred. Or in short, I am hungering for some human meat."

Kihara Biyoki directed his open mouth to attack the blonde boy. In response, Takayama leapt forward to evade.

The zombie-looking boy hit the bottom of the solid concrete wall. Takayama did not see it, but Biyoki's face must have taken quite a bit of damage.

When Kihara Biyoki finally had the energy to get up, he found that his hands were limp. An intense cold sensation stabbed at the skin of his hands. "Hm? What's this?"

Before he could find out the answer to his question, a strong impact hit his face. His body twisted backwards, but his hands were still stuck to the floor, forcing his body into an awkward pose.

"Your mouth is still bleeding. Does that mean I hit you while you're still not fully regenerated? That's good to know!" Takayama cracked his knuckles as he looked at the collapsed figure in front of him.

Breaking the ice restraining his hands to the floor with his unusual strength, Biyoki brought a hand up to his jaw to adjust it. "Looks like you are no easy prey."

Takayama managed a grin. "Right back at you. Now, come on!"

A blade protruded from Takayama's hand, and it sliced through Biyoki's skin like a sharp knife, but it did not take long for the wound to fully disappear.

The zombie boy grabbed both of Takayama's shoulders and tried to land a bite off of his face. The sound of a dull impact echoed as Takayama landed a blow up Biyoki's jaw.

He was still completely new to the feeling of being an esper, but Takayama managed to hold his own against Kihara Biyoki's strong attacks. In a way, it felt refreshing to have a reliable weapon constantly at his side. It could not be taken from him, and it didn't require him time to use. It was like an extension of his arm.

Being an esper actually felt invigorating.

But it did not last long.

An evil approached with such great killing intent that it's presence created a change in the atmosphere of the battlefield.

As Takayama delivered another blow to the boy's regenerating face, he caught a glance of a girl's school uniform and a smile wreaking of sadism.

"Heh, heh, heh, seeing two young boys clashing against each other is sending me shivers. Alright, let me join in."

A hand dropped on Biyoki's shoulder. It pulled him out of the fight as if it was in complete control of his body. Kihara Biyoki found himself retreating behind the back of a high school girl wearing a uniform from a girl's private high school.

Takayama did not cancel his earlier action and continued to swing his arm at the new target.

In a single instant, the attack was blocked easily by the newcomer.

"Let me introduce myself again, I am Kihara Noriko. My specialty is the origin of things, including Kihara's," gently spoke the girl as she held the boy's punch with only her right hand.

_Kihara? _Perhaps because he was uncertain that name carried the same link as the person he knew that Takayama had ignored that name, but nevertheless, it begun to dig deep into his mind. But before he could completely bring to mind the scientist who was his power developer, the Kihara in front of him made a move.

Using the boy's arm as a lever, the girl pulled the fist in and swung it in the opposite direction. Takayama lost the balance he needed and stumbled away.

"When I said 'origin', I meant foundations and templates. Everything has a point in which they originated. But what is fascinating about it is witnessing how that point can branch out into multiple directions. Just like with us Kihara's, there is a foundation that links us all, and I represent that foundation," proudly explained the girl. "Thanks to that, I have yet another specialty I'm currently working on."

"Are you trying to say that you have a trump card or something?"

"I guess you could say that." The girl shrugged in an entirely calm voice.

But even so, Takayama Akito did not hesitate to rush back into the fray.

Yes, he was no longer the same powerless Level 0 who was always beaten down. New roads were open for him to venture on.

And yet, that had been all smashed to pieces in the next instant.

Kihara Noriko brought her right hand up to meet that fist containing esper power. That fist formed an odd weapon. But it did not matter what it was because a sound of breaking glass echoed at the point of impact as the weapon got negated effortlessly.

Takayama stared in shock and muttered a few simple words as he watched that unbelievable phenomenon occur.

"What the hell?!"

With a crooked smile that lacked any form of virtue, Kihara Noriko answered readily, "There is a unique power residing in this city. I don't know if you are familiar with it so I'll explain it in simple terms, although there is nothing but simple terms to describe it presently. It is a power that can negate any supernatural phenomena, Imagine Breaker."

* * *

_**Battle: Gemstone vs. ?**_

Hosoda Mamoru took a quick glance around the corner towards the dark end of an empty passageway. However, there was only silence. The space seemed to have been swallowed up by a mysterious emptiness. The tension made an unpleasant sweat run down his cheek while he quietly waited for his prey to come. He silently cursed his awful luck for dropping this unexpected situation on him.

There was a reason he was sweating so much. He was waiting for a monster to appear from the shadows. He was waiting for that Level 5 Mental Out to appear. That monster was lurking in the shadows at this very moment.

This was a messed up situation. The fact that he had to mess with her brain and steer her away in the other direction only added to the insanity that was digging into his mind. The reason why he was doing this outrageous job was because he needed money. For various reasons, he needed a ton of money that you won't be able to get just by working normal full-time jobs for a couple of years, and he needed it quick. His search took him to the depths of Academy City's web until he found a small notice stuck on an unsuspecting message board. The notice itself was plain. It only told him to send his contact information to the given number and follow the directions which will be sent afterwards.

He had no idea what he was getting into. He had expected that this guarding job was going to be about protecting his cute young boss who goes to a prestigious school. This particular night betrayed all his expectations.

"Shit...Why is she taking so long to get here?! The guys said she was heading this way for sure, but that was already a while ago," he said as he wiped the sweat from his chin even though the weather was relatively cold.

"What are we even going to do against a Level 5?" spoke up a boy whose name he just remembered as Hattori. He didn't bother asking what was this boy's reason for taking this outrageous job, but it was probably on the same extreme as his.

"Didn't I tell you earlier?" spat out Hosoda Mamoru. "The second she steps into my field of vision, I'll swap her perception of the passageway using my power. That way, instead of heading towards us, she'll be heading towards the emergency exit. It'll look like a mirror just appeared out of thin air. Whether she turns right or left, it doesn't matter. She'll only think she's heading in the right direction, but in fact, she'll be walking towards the destination I laid out for her."

"Isn't that kind of the same power as hers?" Hattori held the fire extinguisher which he had modified into a compressed gas launcher.

"You're not wrong. This is only one of the many things she could do. Mental Out is the strongest power in the realm of the human mind. Putting it into terms of the electromagnetic spectrum, I have control over blue whereas she has control over red, green, yellow, and all the colors of light. She can do other things that temper in the brain's functions such as absolute hypnosis or something along those lines. Her version of my power is probably already beyond mine," explained the poor boy Hosoda Mamoru. His time in school was not completely wasted, even though he was usually distracted by other things, like gambling online, he still remembered topics from his classes. Because of his knowledge in that field of the Power Curriculum Program, he had a good idea how fearsome the Mental Out could be.

"I see..." Hattori looked down at the only weapon he had to face the Level 5 with."In that case, won't your power be ineffective against her?"

"If you're thinking about those recurring mechanics in video games where same elements are immune to one another, then you're completely wrong." Hosoda Mamoru spoke up without looking away from the spot where that golden-hairedgirl will step into. "Our power levels don't matter. As long as I put her under my influence first, I win. I can make her go round and round like a lost child, so we don't have to worry about her making us her puppets."

The first to use his ability will win. If even for an instant he got a clear view of the target's face, he could mess with that person's mind. But if Shokuhou Misaki was able to pull out her remote first, it would be game over. He will play this game he had set up himself.

The tension was unbearable for someone like Hosoda Mamoru whose only notable trait was having terrible luck for money and betting.

Hattori didn't change his expression even as the danger was closing in. "How did this even happen? I thought this was an easy job."

"I get what you mean. That Amatsukaze guy is more trouble than his worth. If I knew earlier that the boss no longer needed him, I would have stabbed him in the back when he brought that Tokiwadai girl in."

"Amatsukaze?"

"Don't you remember? It's that guy the boss recently brought in, the one who wears red all over. If it weren't for him, that Level 5 wouldn't have been drawn towards us."

"Now that I thought about it, I can't seem to remember what his power was either."

Hosoda Mamoru looked confused for a moment. "Wasn't it something like air manipulation? Nobody really knows much about him so I only heard rumors. Speaking of which, some say he is one of those Gemstones."

The situation changed too quickly.

Next to him, the voice suddenly became sweet and feminine, but Hosoda Mamoru didn't notice. An illusion peeled away to reveal the honey blonde-haired girl wearing a Tokiwadai uniform.

"Where is that Amatsukaze hauled up again~?"

"Two floors up, in the surveillance room."

He indeed betted and lost.

"Thanks for the info~" Shokuhou Misaki walked away from the boy who was still peering through the corner, waiting for her arrival.

A sudden shock rang throughout the building from the distance. Shokuhou only nodded at that. She knew that the warhead known as Sogiita Gunha was working somewhere in another part of the building, drawing the enemies' eyes away from her.

.

A few minutes earlier…

Manabe, Yuki, Kumokawa, and Shokuhou stood inside the hallway of a building notoriously known as a "love hotel".

A love hotel was a place for people to gather to do this-and-that and maybe some more this-and-that without worrying about being seen. As long as you have the imagination, it could be between two, three or even a hundred people! It was that kind of place.

"So filthy! Disgusting! Impure!" The little girl named Manabe twisted around as she berated this entire place.

In a small corner, the usually anti-social girl named Yuki was unleashing a stream of gap moe miasma by blushing furiously.

They were surrounded by pink fluorescent lights. A sweet perfume wafted over the entire halls they were in the middle of. Even with all of this luxury, the two were trying not to get fooled because inside those closed doors was something that they don't ever want to witness.

Their reactions did not betray expectations much like Kumokawa's. "Oh? You kids can't handle this much?" She said while crossing her arms together under her well-developed chest.

"Ara~Ara~ What an extravagant place." The big sister Gemstone, Sarah, put a hand to her cheek and was casually observing her surroundings. Whether she was aware of such places remained a mystery.

But the most curious of them all was the one with shiny blonde hair and starry eyes.

The moment this came to her mind, Kumokawa quickly directed her eyes towards that girl whose back was turned towards her. Shokuhou's expression was hidden.

"What a stupid place! Who in their right mind would choose such a location to use as their base?" She finally shouted with the proud of voice of an elegant woman.

"Alright! Where do we start?!" That equally loud voice came from the only boy in that group. Sogiita Gunha scanned the area, paying no heed to any of the elaborate decorations.

"This is just an assumption, but usually in this type of setup their most guarded room could be found at the upper floors. But we should split up just in case." The acting leader, Kumokawa Seria, responded casually.

"Then I'll take the north wing!"

The girls experienced a sudden fright as Gunha rushed forward. He was already gone before they could even stop him. That left with them shaking their heads and looking despaired.

"Then I shall go west," calmly announced the big sister Gemstone.

"Alright. If anything happens, report to me immediately."

Shokuhou watched the mysterious pony-tailed girl walk away. "I'm guessing you'll be staying in the sidelines?"

"Correct, there's no reason for the King in chess to move into danger at such an early stage of the game. That said, Manabe, Yuki, you two will be my bodyguards."

The two young girls quietly nodded to her. Shokuhou let out a small sigh before saying something else. "I hate owing you of all people, but, I am grateful for your assistance in this troublesome affair."

"Just don't die out there."

"And leave that amnesiac boy to you? Not a chance."

.

"Oww! That's hot." The boy named Amatsukaze Shiki spat out as the tip of his tongue was burnt by the hot black coffee in his personal mug. His red scarf fluttered restlessly.

"If you know it's hot, then don't drink it. Are you dumb or something?" said a girl named Megumi exasperatedly while tied up on the floor.

The brown-haired boy looked at her with a flat look on his face. "There's no way to tell if a drink is too hot for your tongue so the only way is to test it out."

A sudden tremor shook the entire room. He glanced at the surveillance windows and saw the intruders in separate screens.

"Looks like the party has begun." Amatsukaze stood up from his seat and put his hands in his jacket's pockets.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

"Gonna welcome some of our guests."

The door silently closed behind him. He was welcomed by a dark hall that seemed to stretch out indefinitely.

"What a pain the ass..." Amatsukaze stared straight forward as his footsteps echoed throughout the lonely area.

His mission was to confront the Level 5 Mental Out.

In Academy City, there were exactly seven Level 5's. They were called the top honor students, the strongest in psychic abilities. Their power far surpasses everyone else's. But Amatsukaze was not concerned with that. He was an outsider to Academy City's system. His power was not received from any form of experimental drug or hypnosis. His power had been with him ever since he could remember. At some point, the world chose him to be the bearer of the power Zone Alter. Whether it was because he reached the exact parameters for manifesting that power by pure chance, or he had born with that power from the very beginning, he had no clue. The most important part was what he should do with this power.

"So, there you are you damn traitor! You've got some nerve showing your face after what you have done!"

He glanced back to see a someone standing away from him. He did not recognize who this person was, but he knew what they were there for. "Don't worry, if I just talk to Shokuhou Misaki, I'm sure everything will be fixed."

"Like hell it will! Everything has gone to hell because of you! And what do you mean by talking to her? Didn't you join us so we could bring down that evil Level 5?!"

Amatsukaze shook his head in pity. "Say you manage to kill Shokuhou Misaki now at this very moment, what then? What kind of grand change will you achieve by eliminating the person you hate the most?""

"What do you mean?!"

"Void. There's only going to be void left inside that pathetic shell you call self… No matter what reason you have, it won't matter in the end. There won't be any reward waiting at the very end of the goal. You should just give up your revenge and do something more meaningful with your life."

That person who worked with the group plotting revenge on Shokuhou fell silent, but only for a very short while. "Ha... ha... hahahahahahahahaha! You can really spout some useless crap, eh Amatsukaze? Is this some kind of weird trait all you Gemstones share? Hahaha! Give up on killing Shokuhou Misaki? What a joke!"

"... Does that mean you won't give up?"

"Hell no!"

A shining object like a metallic marble suddenly shot forward like a bullet towards Amatsukaze. Its speed was hard to follow.

The brown-haired boy made small, subtle movements with his body as that projectile approached. If he had been hit at that speed, it would have been a very painful experience. But it did not manage touch him. The object bounced off a wall and tried to hit him again, but his subtle movements seemed enough to avoid it.

And then things escalated.

Sounds of rapid fire echoed throughout the hallway as the metallic marble ricocheted from wall to wall at a frightening speed. There were no signs of it slowing down, in fact, it looked like it was getting faster. It looked like it was hitting the boundaries at a rate of a hundred per second. If Amatsukaze had been hit by that continuously, his skin would be penetrated and his bones would have holes punched through them. But that was not the case.

Amatsukaze's silhouette seemed to blur like an illusion as he continuously avoided being hit using only fast subtle movements, while still standing in one place. The action was inhuman. He could keep up with that attack that was close to a shotgun fire.

Finally, the metallic marble bounced back towards the owner. The man who was looking for revenge on the Level 5 caught the object by the hand and spoke with a smile on his face. "That's some power you got, Gemstone. My power lets me manipulate this marble into targeting a specific person, like a homing missile. Even if he manages to avoid it, the marble will just bounce back and try to hit him at a greater velocity. It will keep repeating this process no matter how many times. It'll be just like a bullet hell game."

"And yet you were unable to hit me with that toy." Amatsukaze commented casually. The red scarf he usually wore had become undone due to him moving around so much, so rewrapped it around his neck.

"Oh, I'm aware of what you did. The marble should have had a continuous bull's eye, but you interfered with its movement at the last moment. I don't know how you did it though. But don't worry, I'm just getting started." The man pulled three more metallic marbles from his pocket and grinned. "Let's see if you can keep up with all these."

They hit the walls chaotically before building up momentum. The number of bullets he had to dodge was multiplied by four. In an instant, they were surrounding Amatsukaze like a hoard of fevered hornets. The brown-haired boy moved to evade each one. His speed had been increased to the point that he became a blurry white image. But even he looked troubled by his predicament.

"Looks like I have to get serious a little." He leapt backwards a great distance away from that rain of bullets. "Zone Alter. Four Elements."

He was among the rare people who were gifted with a special power.

In that city full of children with psychic power provided by the most advanced science and technology, there were those who stood out because of their unique abilities that went well beyond the norm, even science itself. They were called Gemstones.

"Wind Revert."

A great noise flooded the hallway. A raging pressure blew away everything in front of Amatsukaze. The chaotic bullet hell game that was heading towards him was sent back instead. He overturned the situation instantly. Everything fell silent after a brief moment.

"Did you think it was over with just that one attack?!" The person he was fighting luckily managed to hide behind a vacant room and was now facing Amatsukaze from a distance. The projectiles had been blown away to a far off place, so he was now desperately looking for ammunition in his pockets.

"No, I was actually just buying time for this." Amatsukaze took a step forward. "Four Elements."

A sudden change occurred.

"Fire Invert."

Everything ended in just an instant.

A monstrous stream of fire engulfed the vision of the man who was so engrossed with vengeance. The intense burning sensation felt like being roasted in the pits of hell. It was too unbearable.

The man collapsed with a loud thump, leaving Amatsukaze alone unscathed. Despite that massive fire outburst, everything remained intact. The walls were not charred, and that man did not have a single burnt body part, but even so, his facial expression looked like he was burned alive by a massive torch.

"I'm sorry a hero had to act so rough. I'm doing this so I can erase all the darkness that is torturing the world."

Amatsukaze turned around and continued heading towards his goal when something bounced off the walls and tried surrounding him again. No, it was not just one, they were four. Just as he thought it was over, the marbles came back and surrounded him.

"What, you're still conscious?" He looked back as he began evading again, but his enemy was still collapsed face down on the floor. At that moment, he realized the marbles no longer had their shiny metallic color. They were just pure white and have grown twice their original size.

Somebody approached from the shadows and smiled at him cheerfully.

He saw a young girl who was about the same age as him, holding what looks like a toy scepter with wing ornaments attached at the head. Her outfit looked like a gothic dress with an exaggerated skirt that puffed out just like an umbrella above her knees. Her silver hair was tied into twin tails. She had golden eyes. But the most characteristic feature she had was the small angel-like wings flapping gently at her back.

"The attack seems insufficient. I thought mixing in the power of my darkness would quadruple the effectiveness, but it still needs a bit more oomph." The girl spoke in a chuunibyou-like fashion.

"Who are you?" Amatsukaze manage to ask a question after he blew away the annoying swarm surrounding him.

The marbles, no, the orbs of pure white stopped and hovered in mid-air as they reached the girl's sides. "I am the protector of the dark realm who is actually a heroine fighting for the good side. I am the beholder of the power of darkness, the one mediating between the sides of light and darkness, the keeper of the balance between two worlds. You who have come from a different realm, which side are you? Because if you seek tranquility in your journey, then I have no qualms with you, but if it is the disruption of the worlds you seek, then I cannot let you continue with your flight. I must warn you, do not hold back. Be prepared to face the might of dark angel Katagiri Rina-chan!"

"…."

"Mortal, why do you look so dumbfounded? Is this the first time you encountered a dark angel?"

There was an institute conducting research on Gemstones, doubling as a school and a dormitory. Amatsukaze had been in that place and had met dozens of students with unique quirks and strong personalities. He did not know if it was because Gemstones harbored such traits or it was just luck that he always found himself being around them, but those previous weird encounters were nowhere near this one.

As such he found himself trembling and looking uncharacteristically concerned, "Ka-Katagiri-san, was it? Are you alright? Did someone hit you on the head? M-Maybe I should just call for an ambulance right now."

"No! Do not do that or a great misunderstanding will take place!" Katagiri Rina shouted in embarrassment just as Amatsukaze was about to reach for his phone. "Essentially, my mission is to eliminate all the disturbances linked to Emily Quarterbell!"

The atmosphere turned tense.

Amatsukaze frowned and asked in a very low voice, "What do you mean by that?"

The chuunibyou angel formed a sweet smile, "Due to Quarterbell's recent movements gathering attention from the higher ups of Academy City, specifically, endangering one of Academy City's Level 5 and the disruption of an important experiment, Kihara-san has concluded that the elimination of that girl's faction is necessary."

So, the higher ups have begun to move, was what Amatsukaze thought. He had been expecting it for some time, and he did not want to be dragged into whatever fight that rich girl was trying to start. His goal now was to contact the Level 5 Mental Out and bargain with her. Which left him with only one question, "I am no longer related to her or her group, what if I tell you that?"

"Does not matter! Eliminating everyone will prevent any unpredictable outcome that might pop out!"

A loud crash resounded within the space. A barrage of countless white orbs shot forward, destroying everything in their path as they headed for the brown-haired Gemstone.

"Tch… Four Elements. Water Invert!" Amatsukaze glided through the storm that was meant to crush every single part of his body.

The orbs' path curved as they reached Amatsukaze, leaving him untouched. He made small adjustments to his body as he pressed forward. It looked like a current of water diverging from a mass of stone. Somehow, the white storm was avoiding him.

He eventually reached the end of it. Facing Katagiri, he opened a palm towards her and spoke, "Four Elements. Earth Invert!"

The silver-haired girl suddenly found herself unable to move. It was as if her entire body was stuck beneath layers of quicksand. "Wh-what kind of trickery is this?! Are you a mage of the order of light?"

"I don't know if you are aware of this, but I'm what they call a Gemstone, and my power is called Zone Alter." Amatsukaze said in a sing-song voice. But it did not last long.

"I see, the realms have conjured up a new kind of power. But even so, this dark angel cannot be beaten by such weak will."

"What?!"

The girl smiled before turning the tables on him. "Paradigm Shift: Dark Matter."

Suddenly, countless bladed wings filled his vision. They stretched and charged forward to stab the boy. Those wings had been the small angel-like wings attached to the girl's back. But now they looked like giant swords.

"Wind Revert!"

A small cyclone suddenly formed and burst between them, sending both sides backwards. Amatsukaze had no problem landing on his feet. The wings made of Dark Matter on the other hand stabbed the ground and skidded backwards, crushing and slicing the concrete floor. That attack would have ripped the boy into pieces had he not used his power at the last second. As she stopped, Katagiri used her wings to hover in place.

Amatsukaze Shiki grunted and looked the girl in the eye. "Dark Matter? Isn't that the power of that other Level 5? No, it can't be, you're not him!"

"Indeed, I am not that Level 5, but an approximation."

"And that Paradigm Shift you're muttering about, could it be similar to my Four Elements?! Now that I think about it, that rich girl mentioned that name before."

"I do not understand how your Four Elements work, mortal, but I feel you are close."

A power that was unique. The attacks he received seemed to have extraordinary origins. And it came from something close to a Level 5's power.

That made Amatsukaze click his tongue.

"Unfortunately, this angel was only gifted with Dark Matter. The others have a wider variety of expertise."

"The others?!"

Raising her toy scepter upwards, Katagiri Rina did not say anything further and began her attack again.

That Dark Matter stabbed a part of the ceiling like a spear and tore it down as it fell towards him. In response, Amatsukaze faced it head on and muttered, "Fire Revert."

An intense pressure built up in front of him and collided with that guillotine made of unknown white matter.

A loud explosion rang out as that power from a unique esper known as a Gemstone, and that power from a modified esper based on a Level 5, clashed and reacted to one another.

The explosion was so big, the once serene hall of the love hotel collapsed after losing most of its support, and both sides of the battle ended up falling back a little. A giant chasm had appeared in place of that explosion.

"Fire, hm? I did not see anything like that." The girl tilted her head in a confused look and placed the point of the toy scepter on her cheek.

From across that giant hole, Amatsukaze placed one end of his red scarf around his neck and began his counter attack.

.

Shokuhou Misaki wandered around the building looking bored as she twirled her remote with her gloved hand. She hummed a tune to distract herself. The entire place was crawling with enemies, but she didn't seem troubled at all. Each time a person came to face her, she pointed her remote at them and said, "Obey."

That's why a group of brainwashed people followed her around. Her task had been simpler than she expected.

"Let's see, it should be right around here."

She had come to take her roommate back and bring down this group which was plotting her downfall. But the direction she was heading was not that of the glasses girl's. Having brainwashed people from the enemies' side, she had extracted bits of information from them. They were all underlings, and that usually meant that they did not have a wide view of their boss' plan, so all they knew were tiny details based from their perspective as underlings. But Shokuhou managed to put their knowledge together to construct a rough outline. She only needed a few more pieces. That was the direction she was heading.

"D-damn it, to think you came here in perso- Wait, aren't those my comrades?!"

"There you are~" The starry-eyed girl pointed her remote at the grunt who suddenly appeared.

Immediately, that person came under control without doing anything. Shokuhou took a different remote from her purse and used it on the new slave. "Now tell me everything you know about this Emily person."

"Yes, she had recruited the remnants of a group that was known for holding a grudge against you. She did not say why, but promised that she would support them by providing funds and a base."

Shokuhou frowned a bit as she heard that. She was aware of the people who saw Level 5's as evil. One of the possible reasons was that they were espers dumped by institutes because they did not hold any potential, unlike the Level 5's.

"Eventually, she recruited more people who were looking for underground jobs. She asked us to capture any links to Mental Out, even if it wasn't the person herself. I do not know why, but she seems to be looking for something that is linked to Mental Out."

"Yes, yes, that is me. I already know that bit already, so cut to the important part."

"This was a speculation from the second division, but we found a subject who was under control Monday last week 10:15 pm at District 18."

She brought a finger to her forehead to remember what occurred on that date. "Wait, I didn't put anyone under control during that time!"

"The person under influence was being controlled by Mental Out, but something was different. The second division's espers in charge of brain wave sensing suggested that a different person was controlling the subject."

That was when she heard a tapping sound from behind.

Footsteps approached her, and when it finally stopped, a figure of a lanky boy appeared. He wore punk-themed accessories on his wrists and his neck. He had shoulder-length, silver hair and a pair of golden eyes.

"Yo, I did not expect to meet my progenitor here." The boy said as if he just bumped into a friend.

Turning towards this boy, Shokuhou grabbed another remote from her bag and asked him a simple question. "Who are you exactly?"

"Me? My name is Mochizuki Yoshiya. I am part of the Paradigm Shift experiment centered around the Level 5's powers. Let's get along, my progenitor."

* * *

_**Battle: Imagine_Breaker_FAKE.**_

That mysterious power was present in that girl's right hand.

"Just so you don't give me too much credit, this is an imitation," the girl raised her hand forward to emphasize her point. "The real hand belongs to a certain boy. This one is just a replica under development based on the countless research I made on the real thing using pure science."

Takayama Akito stared at her and her right hand.

"I must confess that it was difficult cloning that particular power. Imagine Breaker is completely different from esper powers. A whole archive of data was recorded in order to analyze its characteristics, but even then, there are still somethings unclear with that power. It's as if it doesn't work on scientific laws, which I did not want to admit. So I had to use super advance science just to create something that cannot be expressed by scientific formulas. Isn't that an impressive feat? I wouldn't mind you praising me, you know?"

The power he relied on suddenly became unusable. But it was not game over. Power or not, he still had the ability to fight.

For example, a drum-shaped cleaning robot, the standard in all of Academy City's private facilities suddenly came crashing towards the girl.

The robot came as a response to the command Takayama had sent from his phone which he used as a remote.

The sudden movement took Kihara Noriko by surprise, but she quickly took hold of the situation and turn it in her favor. With both hands, she grabbed the top of the robot, redirected it using its own forward momentum to make a full circle and launched it at twice its speed. The target was of course changed.

The blonde boy jumped up and used the incoming robot as a launch pad to catapult himself up in the air. A blade rose and arced down from his hand towards the girl. That right hand containing that mysterious power was already in place to block. If for even a small moment, it touched the blade molded by psychic power, that weapon would be shattered into pieces and Kihara Noriko would have the upper hand. And Takayama knew this.

That is why he grabbed hold of that right hand with his own and interlocked his fingers with hers.

The blade fell just as intended, and Kihara took it by the other arm she had raised.

They both held their place until that girl spoke in an unusual voice. "Y-You pervert! G-Grabbing the hand of a girl you just met!"

"Don't you think it's too late to act like some innocent maiden in love?!"

The hand holding down the fake Imagine Breaker in place had a hard time. For some unknown reason, that mysterious hand was physically stronger. It did not take long for Takayama to be overwhelmed and be pushed away by Kihara Noriko.

In the next instant, the girl charged forward and struck him using that right hand.

Takayama was late to realize that his feet had left the ground. His breathing stopped for a second, but the biggest change was the pain across his chest. He was sent flying towards the next room. And once again, pain erupted from his back and head as he landed. He rolled on the floor a few times, making it harder for him keep control of consciousness. The world spun around in his vision.

"Ghh… aghhh…" Not knowing whether he was lying face up or down, he had trouble breathing. It felt like something was gripping his chest tightly. He may have not realized it, but a bit of cold blood flowed through his mouth.

It felt like eternity before he could reorganize his thoughts. He slowly got on his knees and reached around for something to support him with.

He was now inside a small, dark room with a landing between two staircases.

The cold air stabbed at his skin as he leaned up against a wall. There were boxes nearby for some reason, so he could not quite clearly see the rest of the room.

Why was he even in a situation like this in the first place?

He rubbed the part of his head where the pain erupted. He slowly recollected his original goal.

The reason why he was there was because he did not want that outsider to meddle in Academy City's affairs. But he had no way of knowing where she was at this point. He first needed to defeat that eccentric Kihara girl.

"You seem to be having trouble, Takayama-chan." That sweet voice came from nowhere.

"Damn it, I'm going to find you no matter what."

That sweet voice made a small giggle. Takayama felt it resounding in his own head. The actual person must be using form of communication power to deliver her words from a distance.

"But how will you beat her?"

"I have a plan." He stood up and begun his move. "But after this, I won't be able to use my powers for a while."

* * *

**END AN:**

**Hello! It has been a while, hasn't it? These past few months I had a hard time finding the time to focus solely on this chapter. Each day I wanted to write, but I always ended up getting distracted by various things.**

**Anyway, this chapter has a bunch of powers, new and old. And I will enumerate each one.**

**Firstly, Kihara Byouki. I always wondered how a zombie would make its way through TAMNI, that is how I thought about the concept of using science to create an artificial zombie. Basically, he is using technology to boost his body's regeneration at the cost of being incredibly hungry all the time. It fit very well with Kihara theme so I was very satisfied.**

**Next, his twin sister, Kihara Noriko. This was very simple. Among all the Kihara's, she is the role model template of every Kihara. She is like the vanilla of the Kihara flavor. She has a power closely identical to Imagine Breaker, but the explanation for this will come in the next chapter.**

**Amatsukaze's Gemstone ability, Zone Alter. Currently, the Four Elements he is using has two modes, Revert and Invert. When you think about it, Gemstone abilities don't just mean that they are a part of their body, just like Himegami Aisa of Deep Blood, it was the very fact that they followed absurd laws that did not follow Academy City's espers. That is just my take on their powers. In any case, what do you think is Amatsukaze's role? Is he a villain or a hero? I hate to admit it, but it does not take much for him to surpass Takayama as a joker. Speaking of which, I think they are both jokers in a way. You can expect more of Amatsukaze in the future!**

**The bullet hell game Amatsukaze fought. This power was quite simple and followed very simple laws. But the very fact that it would follow you no matter what was frightening. Amatsukaze's primary way of avoiding them was his Water Invert, which I need to explain a bit. Using Water Invert allows Amatsukaze to curve the flow of anything making contact with him, but at the same time, he had to move in a way that he was not dead center of the attack.**

**Katagiri Rina's Paradigm Shift: Dark Matter. Finally the titular Paradigm Shift made its debut. It was brief, but I was glad it just so happens to clash with Zone Alter at its debut. On a different note, if you have read the previous chapters, you would know who Katagiri Rina is. I wouldn't blame you if you don't though since she had a small role there. In any case, her Dark Matter doesn't need explaining I'm sure, but for Paradigm Shift it will come later.**

**Lastly, Takayama's own power. It was greatly explained before, but for the practical usage? It was not very eye-catching as the power is not rare in Academy City. But Takayama at his very foundations, is a normal high school boy studying at Academy City. It fit his trait of being an underdog against these various monsters.**

**That concludes the AN. Hope you give me your thoughts and what you would like to see in the next chapters.**

**I am still working hard on that Kamijou sides-story by the way, and I will try to get it done someday. As for Attractor Field, it will surely come. I'm just working on it bit by bit, but Paradigm takes priority for now.**

**EOF.**


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